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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: bear · charge · bass · track · wax · spring · vault · court

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. spring — the season
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spring — of water
  9. track — a song
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. track — to keep track
  14. court — of a king
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. court — of law
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. court — for sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. vault — a safe
  23. track — a path
  24. wax — to grow

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