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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. court — of a king
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bound — tied together
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. current — electric
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. court — for sport
  14. current — happening now
  15. roll — a list
  16. pop — soda
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. current — of water
  23. bound — certain
  24. court — of law

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