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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: stand · court · deal · can · fan · mine · wake · wax

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. court — of a king
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wax — to grow
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. can — a tin
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — a tin
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stand — to bear

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