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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
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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: game · can · wax · root · coach · craft · club · spell

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. game — a match
  5. root — of a word
  6. craft — a skill
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. club — a group
  11. game — wild animals
  12. craft — boats
  13. spell — a short time
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. root — the cause
  16. club — for golf
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — a tin
  19. root — of a plant
  20. spell — letters
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wax — to grow
  24. spell — magic

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