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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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wax — to grow
  5. court — of a king
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pop — music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pop — to visit
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pop — soda
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chip — to eat

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