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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. wax — to grow
  6. key — the most important part
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. court — for sport
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fine — high quality
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. key — for a lock
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. key — in music
  24. lash — to lash out

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