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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: object · swing · court · wax · craft · stock · fan · sharp

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. court — of a king
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. court — of law
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wax — to grow
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. object — to protest
  9. craft — boats
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. craft — a skill
  13. swing — music
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. object — a thing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. object — an aim
  21. court — for sport
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. craft — a handicraft

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