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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · club · wax · current · bay · ball · object · wound

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ball — a dance
  4. object — to protest
  5. club — a group
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. current — happening now
  12. club — for golf
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wound — an injury
  17. club — for dancing
  18. object — an aim
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. current — electric
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. current — of water

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