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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: mark · racket · wax · chair · tube · cabinet · land · bulb

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mark — a trace
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. land — ground
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mark — a grade
  14. land — a country
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — a container
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wax — to grow
  21. land — to come down
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chair — a leader

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