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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. drill — the tool
  11. march — music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fine — all right
  15. court — for sport
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. drill — army training
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. march — the month
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. march — the month
  23. drill — a practice
  24. craft — boats

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