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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: track · degree · board · mug · court · can · bulb · wax

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. track — a path
  3. mug — to rob
  4. degree — temperature
  5. court — of a king
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. court — for sport
  8. board — a committee
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wax — to grow
  11. board — to get on
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mug — a face
  17. track — to keep track
  18. degree — an amount
  19. track — a song
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mug — a cup

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