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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · craft · spring · racket · bass · mate · wax · sharp

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. spring — of water
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. firm — decided
  10. mate — a friend
  11. firm — a company
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spring — the season
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bass — low music
  18. craft — boats
  19. spring — a coil
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bass — the fish
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. firm — steady
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com