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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: court · bowl · bound · stick · wax · fall · present · ball

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. court — of a king
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bound — obliged
  11. present — there
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. present — a gift
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bound — certain
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bound — tied together
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. present — the time now
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ball — a round shape

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