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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: wax · suit · bat · bore · race · date · court · sharp

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bore — to drill
  12. suit — in cards
  13. court — of law
  14. sharp — clever
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bat — the animal
  19. race — a contest
  20. bore — to tire
  21. race — humankind
  22. wax — to grow
  23. suit — to fit
  24. date — the fruit

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