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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: fork · perch · bass · can · mine · fall · ball · wax

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fall — the season
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fork — in a road
  10. can — a tin
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bass — low music
  14. ball — a dance
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mine — for digging
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. can — a tin

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