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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. court — of law
  4. object — an aim
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. object — a thing
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. band — a music group
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. court — for sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hand — help
  17. pitch — completely
  18. band — a ring
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hand — in cards
  21. object — to protest
  22. court — of a king
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. firm — a company

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