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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. court — of a king
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. squash — the sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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