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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. suit — clothes
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wax — to grow
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. capital — money
  11. rock — a stone
  12. foot — a measure
  13. capital — a city
  14. perch — the fish
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. court — for sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rock — music

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