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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. plane — a tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. court — of a king
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. tube — a container
  12. foot — a measure
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. court — of law
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. court — for sport
  22. track — a song
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. foot — part of the body

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