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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. court — of a king
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. track — a path
  7. court — for sport
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. court — of law
  14. track — a song
  15. wax — to grow
  16. date — the fruit
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. kid — child
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stem — to come from
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wax — in the ear

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