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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. court — of a king
  3. suit — clothes
  4. court — for sport
  5. pop — music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pop — soda
  9. court — of law
  10. fine — all right
  11. press — to push
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pop — to visit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. saw — the tool
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. press — a publisher

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