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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 124 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fine — all right
  4. court — of a king
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. season — of the year
  8. bat — the animal
  9. court — of law
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fine — high quality
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. season — in sport
  20. court — for sport
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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