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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. can — a tin
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cue — for pool
  16. club — for golf
  17. cue — a hint
  18. arm — part of the body

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