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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hand — help
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — of a king
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ball — a dance

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