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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. court — of a king
  3. ground — crushed
  4. court — of law
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ground — a position
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. branch — a division
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. net — after costs
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. net — for catching
  14. court — for sport
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rush — hurry
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. net — in sport
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ground — the earth
  24. charge — electricity

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