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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. game — a match
  7. court — for sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. court — of a king
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. court — of law
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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