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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 120 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. band — a ring
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mug — a cup
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mug — to rob
  14. scale — size or range
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bass — the fish
  19. scale — in music
  20. cue — for pool
  21. band — a music group
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bass — low music
  24. mug — a face

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