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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rest — a break
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rest — what's left
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. craft — boats
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — what's left
  19. club — for golf
  20. branch — a division
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. drill — a practice
  23. club — a group
  24. drill — army training

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