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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cap — a hat
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. shower — rain
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cap — of ice
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cap — a lid
  19. court — for sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitch — completely
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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