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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 116 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — what's left
  6. court — of a king
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. court — for sport
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. scale — in music
  14. rest — a break
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. march — the month
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — size or range
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. march — 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