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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cue — a signal
  5. clip — a video
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wax — to grow
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. scale — in music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wave — of the sea

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