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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: suit · chest · can · bore · wax · court · wake · pitcher

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bore — to drill
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chest — of your body
  13. suit — clothes
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chest — a box
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. court — for sport
  21. chest — of your body
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wake — a trail
  24. court — of law

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