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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: ball · racket · spell · pitcher · nail · wax · jam · fork

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fork — in a road
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. ball — a dance
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. spell — a short time
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. nail — on a finger

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