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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 120 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. object — a thing
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ball — a dance
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. object — to protest
  13. court — of law
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. court — for sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. object — an aim
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. court — of a king

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