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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 116 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: safe · pound · ball · racket · wax · mine · fine · rest

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ball — a great time
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rest — a break
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fine — all right
  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