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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 116 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: mate · mark · racket · wax · staff · season · fork · current

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. current — electric
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. season — of the year
  10. mark — a grade
  11. staff — employees
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. staff — employees
  16. season — in sport
  17. mate — a friend
  18. current — happening now
  19. staff — a stick
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wax — to grow
  24. current — of water

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