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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.

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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: present · vault · bass · racket · drill · key · wax · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. present — the time now
  9. bass — low music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. present — a gift
  12. drill — the tool
  13. vault — a safe
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. key — the most important part
  18. sharp — clever
  19. key — in music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. present — there
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bass — the fish

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