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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. track — a song
  8. race — humankind
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. track — a path
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. march — the month
  16. track — to keep track
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. court — for sport
  23. march — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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