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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 124 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. firm — steady
  3. can — a tin
  4. cue — a hint
  5. present — there
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. court — of law
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. court — of a king
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. firm — decided
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. present — the time now
  16. cue — for pool
  17. court — for sport
  18. present — a gift
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. firm — a company
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. coach — a trainer

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