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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.

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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. swing — music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. swing — in golf
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. degree — from a university
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. court — for sport
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stand — to bear
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stand — for spectators

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