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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cap — a lid
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cue — for pool
  5. field — for sport
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. charge — a price
  9. field — a subject
  10. court — of law
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cue — a signal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. charge — in control
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. court — for sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. court — of a king
  23. field — farmland
  24. key — in music

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