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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 120 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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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: object · pit · fork · racket · wax · pitcher · cell · scale

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. object — a thing
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. scale — in music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. object — an aim
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fork — in a road
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wax — to grow
  19. scale — size or range
  20. cell — in biology
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fork — to eat with

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