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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: rock · cap · wax · court · wound · club · bay · coach

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wound — an injury
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. court — of law
  6. cap — a hat
  7. club — for golf
  8. cap — of ice
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — of a king
  11. wax — to grow
  12. court — for sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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