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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · bound · wax · fine · perch · cap · court · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wax — to grow
  12. court — of law
  13. bound — certain
  14. fine — all right
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bound — tied together
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. court — of a king
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. court — for sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cap — a hat

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