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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 116 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: pass · spring · racket · bay · perch · wax · kid · ball

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — to grow
  4. kid — child
  5. ball — a dance
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. kid — to tease
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spring — of water
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. perch — the fish
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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