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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. court — for sport
  3. ground — the earth
  4. kid — child
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wax — to grow
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ground — a position
  11. court — of a king
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rock — music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mate — to breed
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — of law
  24. wax — in the ear

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