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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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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: mark · toast · bat · stick · board · court · kid · wax

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. court — of a king
  2. wax — to grow
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bat — the animal
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. kid — child
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. court — of law
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. kid — to tease
  11. toast — bread
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. mark — a grade
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. court — for sport
  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