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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rest — what's left
  6. court — of law
  7. game — wild animals
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. plane — a tool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. court — of a king
  18. key — in music
  19. game — a match
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rest — what's left
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rest — a break

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