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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bass — the fish
  3. court — of a king
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. firm — a company
  7. wake — a trail
  8. track — a song
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. firm — decided
  11. fine — all right
  12. court — of law
  13. bass — low music
  14. firm — steady
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. court — for sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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