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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. craft — boats
  15. court — of a king
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wax — to grow
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. net — for catching
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. temple — a place of worship

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