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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pop — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mark — a grade
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pop — soda
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. club — for golf
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. court — of a king
  18. club — a group
  19. court — for sport
  20. clip — to cut
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pop — to visit

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