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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · court · chair · wound · cue · ball · rule · suit

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cue — a hint
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rule — a law
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cue — a signal
  18. court — of a king
  19. wax — to grow
  20. court — of law
  21. rule — government
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wax — for sculpting

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