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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. court — of a king
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. field — a subject
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — for betting
  13. court — for sport
  14. field — for sport
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rule — government
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. court — of law
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rule — a law
  24. field — farmland

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