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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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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: mug · wax · land · spell · ball · saw · net · jam

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — magic
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mug — a face
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mug — to rob
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ball — a dance
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. spell — letters
  16. mug — a cup
  17. net — for catching
  18. wax — to grow
  19. saw — the tool
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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