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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. charge — a price
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — to grow
  18. charge — in control
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — bread
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. net — for catching
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitcher — a jug

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