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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
468
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: wax · ball · drill · bowl · calf · scale · coach · content

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. content — the amount
  5. drill — army training
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wax — to grow
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. scale — in music
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ball — a great time
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. content — happy
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. content — videos and posts

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