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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
468
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: court · fan · cap · arm · patient · mark · wax · club

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cap — a lid
  8. court — of law
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. court — for sport
  11. mark — a grade
  12. court — of a king
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. club — for dancing
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wax — to grow
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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