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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: racket · game · toast · saw · wax · prune · march · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wax — to grow
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. prune — to trim
  7. march — the month
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. march — music
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. toast — bread
  13. saw — the tool
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. prune — to trim
  17. game — a match
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. march — the month
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. game — wild animals
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rash — hasty

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