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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: pit · plane · band · object · net · racket · track · wax

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. net — for catching
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. net — in sport
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. wax — to grow
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pit — a hole
  23. net — after costs
  24. band — a music group

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