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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. court — of a king
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wax — to grow
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mate — a friend
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. plane — a tool
  21. court — of law
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mate — to breed

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