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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. charge — a price
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. can — to be able to
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. march — the month
  13. can — a tin
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cue — a signal
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — in a road

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