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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 120 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. court — of a king
  7. board — to get on
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. tear — to rip
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mug — a face
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pound — a weight
  17. court — of law
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — a song
  20. court — for sport
  21. track — a path
  22. board — a committee
  23. bank — for money
  24. track — to keep track

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