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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. craft — a skill
  6. toast — bread
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. craft — boats
  9. ball — a dance
  10. firm — decided
  11. snap — to click
  12. wax — to grow
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. court — for sport
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. firm — a company
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. staff — employees
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. court — of law
  21. staff — employees
  22. ball — a great time
  23. staff — a stick
  24. firm — steady

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