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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.

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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: safe · content · wax · bay · racket · deal · jam · mine

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. content — the amount
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. deal — to handle
  17. content — happy
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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