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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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cue — for pool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pop — music
  10. cue — a signal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. club — for golf
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. band — a ring
  15. pop — soda
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. band — a music group
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. club — a group
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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