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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: fine · firm · ball · perch · cabinet · foot · wax · roll

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wax — to grow
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ball — a dance
  6. firm — steady
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. firm — decided
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fine — high quality
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fine — all right
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cabinet — ministers

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