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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cue — a hint
  4. court — of a king
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cue — for pool
  8. present — the time now
  9. ball — a dance
  10. court — of law
  11. bound — certain
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fork — in a road
  14. present — a gift
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. court — for sport
  23. cue — a signal
  24. present — there

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