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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. land — to come down
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. press — to push
  6. court — of law
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. land — a country
  10. club — for golf
  11. wax — to grow
  12. court — for sport
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. club — for dancing
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. land — ground
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. court — of a king
  21. club — a group
  22. fall — the season
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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