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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. court — of a king
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lie — to recline
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fine — high quality
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right

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