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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rock — music
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. band — a music group
  7. court — of a king
  8. wax — to grow
  9. track — a path
  10. staff — employees
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. track — a song
  16. rock — a stone
  17. track — to keep track
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. staff — a stick
  20. court — for sport
  21. band — a ring
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. staff — employees
  24. jam — a tight spot

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