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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: racket · squash · rash · safe · date · wax · track · scale

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — a series
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rash — hasty
  7. scale — in music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — size or range
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. track — a path
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. track — a song
  18. date — the fruit
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wax — to grow
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. safe — out of danger

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