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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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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: snap · calf · club · sharp · court · wax · fork · mate

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. court — of a king
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. court — for sport
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. club — a group
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fork — in a road
  11. court — of law
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mate — a partner
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. club — for golf
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fork — a garden tool

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