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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bear — the animal
  3. date — the fruit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — size or range
  6. court — of law
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. court — for sport
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. scale — in music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. court — of a king
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. date — on the calendar

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