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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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · court · nail · wax · chair · mine · object · kick

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. object — to protest
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. court — for sport
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. mine — for digging
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. scale — size or range
  18. object — an aim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. scale — in music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. object — a thing

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