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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cap — a lid
  5. court — of law
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fork — in a road
  9. court — for sport
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cap — of ice
  12. scale — in music
  13. date — the fruit
  14. club — a group
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cap — a hat
  20. club — for golf
  21. court — of a king
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. club — for dancing

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