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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. court — for sport
  3. chest — a box
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. object — an aim
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. court — of law
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rule — a law
  13. chest — of your body
  14. object — a thing
  15. tube — a container
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chest — of your body
  19. object — to protest
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. court — of a king
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rule — government

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