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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cue — a signal
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. track — a path
  8. object — a thing
  9. cue — for pool
  10. object — an aim
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. track — to keep track
  13. object — to protest
  14. cue — a hint
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. drill — the tool
  19. charge — in control
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. drill — army training
  24. wake — before a funeral

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