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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cue — for pool
  6. land — a country
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bore — to drill
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. present — there
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. land — ground
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bore — to tire

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