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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 124 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: toast · court · ground · mark · mate · cell · wax · key

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ground — a position
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. key — in music
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. mark — a grade
  16. court — of a king
  17. toast — bread
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. toast — the most admired

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