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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 116 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: last · wax · root · mark · court · nail · staff · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. last — finally
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. root — of a word
  5. mark — a trace
  6. staff — employees
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. staff — employees
  9. court — of a king
  10. root — of a plant
  11. court — for sport
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. last — to go on
  15. court — of law
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mark — a grade
  19. last — final
  20. staff — a stick
  21. root — the cause
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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