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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
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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: bore · bay · wax · bowl · net · club · cabinet · coach

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. club — a group
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bore — to drill
  8. club — for golf
  9. wax — to grow
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. net — after costs
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. club — for dancing

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