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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
468
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: march · court · ground · cabinet · spring · wax · staff · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ground — crushed
  6. object — to protest
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. march — music
  11. staff — a stick
  12. ground — the earth
  13. court — of law
  14. march — the month
  15. staff — employees
  16. spring — of water
  17. staff — employees
  18. court — of a king
  19. march — the month
  20. wax — to grow
  21. object — an aim
  22. spring — the season
  23. ground — a position
  24. court — for sport

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