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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pop — to visit
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stock — goods
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. court — for sport
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. capital — a city
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stock — shares
  16. court — of law
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pop — soda
  20. capital — money
  21. vault — a safe
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. court — of a king
  24. ruler — a monarch

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