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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 · bear · bound · fine · court · dip · bark · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. court — for sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bark — to shout
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bound — tied together
  20. court — of a king
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fine — all right
  23. court — of law
  24. wax — in the ear

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