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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cue — for pool
  4. field — a subject
  5. suit — to fit
  6. field — for sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. spring — a coil
  10. suit — clothes
  11. net — for catching
  12. spring — the season
  13. net — in sport
  14. spring — of water
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bass — the fish
  17. field — farmland
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cue — a hint
  20. net — after costs
  21. bass — low music
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pass — to succeed

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