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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. field — farmland
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. court — of law
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. field — a subject
  15. wax — to grow
  16. field — for sport
  17. ball — a great time
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. season — of the year
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. season — in sport
  24. court — for sport

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