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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. can — to be able to
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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