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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: content · wax · track · saw · calf · net · object · fork

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. track — a song
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. track — to keep track
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. net — for catching
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. object — a thing
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. net — in sport
  16. track — a path
  17. object — an aim
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. content — happy
  21. object — to protest
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fork — in a road
  24. net — after costs

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