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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. court — of a king
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pop — music
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. spell — magic
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. scale — in music
  17. kick — in football
  18. pop — soda
  19. court — for sport
  20. spell — letters
  21. scale — size or range
  22. court — of law
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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