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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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 a king
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ground — a position
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. ground — the earth
  10. court — for sport
  11. row — a line
  12. wax — to grow
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. court — of law
  16. ground — crushed
  17. chair — a leader
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chair — a professorship

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