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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: mouse · fork · field · net · ball · wax · wave · craft

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. net — in sport
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. net — after costs
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. net — for catching
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. field — for sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mouse — for a computer

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