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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stand · court · wax · drill · spell · mouse · cap · suit

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cap — a lid
  5. spell — a short time
  6. court — of a king
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. spell — magic
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. drill — a practice
  14. suit — in cards
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. drill — army training
  19. court — of law
  20. cap — a hat
  21. court — for sport
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stand — to bear
  24. suit — clothes

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