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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · squash · net · bowl · ruler · wax · pit · leaves

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. court — of a king
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. net — after costs
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. court — for sport
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. court — of law

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