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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 120 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: spring · court · foot · bear · wax · stand · fine · ruler

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fine — all right
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. wax — to grow
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. bear — the animal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bear — the animal

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