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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. court — of law
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. firm — a company
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pop — music
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. court — of a king
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. firm — decided
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. firm — steady
  23. court — for sport
  24. coach — a trainer

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