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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: pop · wax · pit · mouse · racket · wound · file · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pop — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pop — soda
  5. wound — an injury
  6. file — a tool
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. file — a line of people
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. file — a document
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pop — to visit

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