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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mark — a trace
  3. court — of a king
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — high quality
  10. season — in sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. court — of law
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stock — shares
  19. court — for sport
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fine — all right
  23. season — of the year
  24. stock — goods

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