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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cue — a hint
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. current — electric
  12. pound — a weight
  13. court — for sport
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. can — to be able to
  16. current — of water
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — happening now
  24. cue — a signal

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