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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. net — after costs
  4. swing — in golf
  5. court — of law
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. capital — money
  8. net — in sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. charge — electricity
  12. court — of a king
  13. capital — a city
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. charge — in control
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. swing — music
  19. net — for catching
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. charge — a price
  22. swing — to play on
  23. court — for sport
  24. wax — to grow

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