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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: toast · current · season · branch · court · ball · wax · bulb

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. season — in sport
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. court — of a king
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. current — happening now
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. ball — a great time
  11. court — of law
  12. current — electric
  13. ball — a dance
  14. court — for sport
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. branch — a division
  17. season — of the year
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. current — of water
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bulb — for light
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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