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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.

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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: court · racket · bulb · craft · pop · coach · wax · temple

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pop — soda
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. craft — boats
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pop — music
  13. wax — to grow
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. court — of a king
  19. pop — to visit
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. court — of law
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bulb — for light
  24. racket — for tennis

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