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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — to grow
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — humankind
  9. court — of law
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. court — of a king
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. degree — an amount
  20. race — a contest
  21. fine — all right
  22. degree — from a university
  23. last — to go on
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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