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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. net — for catching
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. court — of law
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fall — to drop
  16. court — for sport
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fall — the season
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rock — music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ball — a dance

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