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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 116 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: bowl · current · wax · vault · wake · spring · game · racket

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. spring — the season
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wax — to grow
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. current — happening now
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. current — electric
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. spring — of water
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. current — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. racket — for tennis

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