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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.

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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: race · bowl · wave · racket · fan · squash · wax · pit

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. race — humankind
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pit — in a race
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — the arms race
  9. squash — to crush
  10. race — a contest
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pit — a hole
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wax — to grow
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. squash — the vegetable

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