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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.

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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: club · ground · net · sharp · trunk · bay · drill · wax

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. drill — a practice
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. net — after costs
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. ground — the earth
  12. net — in sport
  13. drill — the tool
  14. club — a group
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. net — for catching
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. drill — army training
  22. club — for golf
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. trunk — of a tree

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