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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bulb — for light
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. drill — a practice
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a song
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. ground — crushed
  18. drill — the tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cue — a signal
  21. track — a path
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cue — a hint
  24. drill — army training

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