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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: mate · staff · wax · bear · current · vault · pit · court

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. court — of law
  4. current — electric
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. staff — employees
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. court — of a king
  10. current — happening now
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pit — a hole
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. court — for sport
  16. pit — in a race
  17. staff — employees
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wax — to grow
  20. current — of water
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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