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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. key — in music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. key — for a lock
  13. court — for sport
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — a trace
  21. court — of law
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bulb — for light

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