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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: wax · track · court · file · present · club · cap · perch

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. club — a group
  3. track — to keep track
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. file — a tool
  6. perch — the fish
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wax — to grow
  9. present — the time now
  10. cap — a hat
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — a gift
  13. track — a song
  14. present — there
  15. cap — a lid
  16. club — for dancing
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. club — for golf
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. track — a path
  23. cap — of ice
  24. file — a document

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