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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cue — for pool
  3. season — of the year
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. track — a path
  9. mate — a partner
  10. track — a song
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cue — a hint
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bank — for money
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wax — to grow
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. snap — to click
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. season — in sport
  24. racket — a loud noise

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