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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wax — to grow
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. object — an aim
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. chip — to eat
  8. tube — a container
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chip — for betting
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stem — to come from
  15. object — to protest
  16. rest — what's left
  17. object — a thing
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rest — a break
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. racket — for tennis

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