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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: fan · net · wax · lean · game · court · suit · bay

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. court — for sport
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. net — for catching
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. suit — to fit
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. net — after costs
  13. game — a match
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — to grow
  19. suit — clothes
  20. net — in sport
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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