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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mate — a partner
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bass — low music
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. game — a match
  15. content — happy
  16. cue — for pool
  17. craft — boats
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wax — to grow
  22. craft — a skill
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bass — the fish

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