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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. track — a path
  4. court — for sport
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. track — to keep track
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — of a king
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. track — a song
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. court — of law
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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