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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rock — music
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pop — soda
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chest — of your body
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pop — music
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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