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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 120 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. track — to keep track
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. suit — to fit
  10. track — a song
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. can — a tin
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. object — to protest
  18. track — a path
  19. court — of a king
  20. can — a tin
  21. suit — clothes
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. suit — in cards

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