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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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Word bank
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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: drill · present · ball · prune · court · bore · suit · wax

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bore — to tire
  6. present — the time now
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. drill — the tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bore — to drill
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. court — of law
  16. wax — to grow
  17. drill — a practice
  18. suit — in cards
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. present — a gift
  21. drill — army training
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. present — there
  24. ball — a dance

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