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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: deal · court · wax · fine · spell · field · squash · lie

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. field — for sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fine — all right
  5. spell — magic
  6. field — farmland
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. court — of law
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spell — letters
  13. squash — the sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fine — high quality
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. court — for sport
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. squash — the vegetable

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