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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 120 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 · track · coach · bowl · straw · season · arm · wax

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wax — to grow
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. season — of the year
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. track — a path
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. season — in sport

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