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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 120 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: rock · season · racket · wax · staff · ball · mine · cap

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cap — a lid
  3. season — of the year
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rock — music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. staff — employees
  21. wax — to grow
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. racket — for tennis

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