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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. root — the cause
  3. court — of a king
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — for sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. date — the fruit
  15. degree — temperature
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. court — of law
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mouse — the animal

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