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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stock — goods
  6. fork — in a road
  7. court — of a king
  8. object — to protest
  9. cell — in biology
  10. court — for sport
  11. wax — to grow
  12. object — a thing
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. court — of law
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. object — an aim

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