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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. scale — in music
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. race — the arms race
  6. court — of law
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rock — music
  12. fine — all right
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rash — a series
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rock — a stone

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