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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · court · firm · pop · fine · stick · nail · game

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. court — for sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. firm — a company
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. court — of law
  9. firm — decided
  10. fine — all right
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. court — of a king
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. firm — steady
  21. game — a match
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. game — wild animals

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