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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pop — music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. court — of a king
  9. wax — to grow
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. toast — bread
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — a trace
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. branch — of a bank

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