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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. court — of a king
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bank — for money
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. roll — a cake
  12. court — for sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bank — of a river
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. court — of law
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. roll — a list
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ground — a position
  24. bowl — a football final

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