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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.

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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: fork · dip · bass · spring · wax · perch · racket · bowl

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — in a road
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bass — low music
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. spring — a coil
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. spring — of water
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — the fish
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spring — the season
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. perch — for a bird

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