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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. present — a gift
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. present — the time now
  6. court — of a king
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mark — a grade
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. court — for sport
  15. present — there
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. court — of law
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wax — to grow

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