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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.

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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 · bay · staff · wax · land · fork · saw · stand

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wax — to grow
  6. staff — employees
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. land — a country
  15. fork — in a road
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stand — to bear

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