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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. court — of law
  4. wax — to grow
  5. court — of a king
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. firm — a company
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mine — for digging
  11. firm — steady
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bank — for money
  14. pass — a permit
  15. firm — decided
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mate — to breed
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. bank — for money
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. court — for sport
  24. bank — of a river

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