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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cue — for pool
  5. net — after costs
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cue — a hint
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. cue — a signal
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. net — in sport
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. band — a music group

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