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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. present — a gift
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. court — of a king
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. present — the time now
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. court — of law
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. present — there
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. toast — bread

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