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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. squash — to crush
  3. court — of law
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mark — a trace
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cue — a signal
  10. spring — the season
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wax — to grow
  13. present — there
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. spring — of water
  17. court — of a king
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. court — for sport
  24. present — the time now

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