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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spring — of water
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. court — of law
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — the season
  12. net — in sport
  13. court — for sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. court — of a king
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. net — after costs
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. net — for catching
  23. mark — a grade
  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