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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tube — a container
  12. cue — a signal
  13. content — the amount
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ball — a great time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. club — for golf
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cue — a hint
  21. content — happy
  22. club — a group
  23. perch — the fish
  24. tube — in a tire

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