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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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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: mouse · racket · wake · wax · fine · spring · chair · pound

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spring — of water
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. spring — the season
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wake — a trail
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fine — high quality
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fine — all right
  24. spring — a coil

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