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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wax — to grow
  9. club — for golf
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. court — of law
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. club — a group
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. court — for sport
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. court — of a king
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cue — for pool

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