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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cue — for pool
  3. firm — a company
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. plane — a tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. firm — steady
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. field — for sport
  15. wax — to grow
  16. field — a subject
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cue — a signal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — decided
  22. pop — music
  23. cue — a hint
  24. field — farmland

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