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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: snap · net · coach · court · toast · mouse · wax · bay

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. court — of law
  7. net — for catching
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. net — in sport
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. snap — to click
  19. court — for sport
  20. wax — to grow
  21. court — of a king
  22. toast — bread
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wax — in the ear

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