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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cue — for pool
  3. season — of the year
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. race — humankind
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cue — a signal
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pop — soda
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pop — music
  20. race — a contest
  21. season — in sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. race — the arms race
  24. suit — to fit

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