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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: chair · season · rock · ball · racket · wax · drill · stand

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rock — a stone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a great time
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. season — in sport
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rock — music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. drill — army training
  20. season — of the year
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rock — to move gently

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