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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. rock — music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. track — a song
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. track — a path
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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