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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cue — for pool
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cold — not warm
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. firm — steady
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. track — a song
  17. staff — employees
  18. track — a path
  19. firm — a company
  20. cue — a hint
  21. swing — music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. wax — in the ear

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