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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: spell · scale · net · kick · court · firm · wax · cue

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. net — after costs
  3. spell — a short time
  4. firm — steady
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cue — a signal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. scale — in music
  9. firm — a company
  10. court — of a king
  11. spell — letters
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. spell — magic
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. net — for catching
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. net — in sport
  24. kick — in football

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