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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wax — to grow
  5. craft — boats
  6. cue — for pool
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ground — a position
  9. craft — a skill
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ground — crushed
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. scale — size or range
  14. ground — the earth
  15. game — a match
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. row — a line
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bay — a horse colour

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