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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rock · wax · saw · racket · fan · deal · coach · perch

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rock — a stone
  3. perch — the fish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rock — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wax — in the ear

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