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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. staff — employees
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rock — music
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stock — shares
  11. tube — the underground
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spell — letters
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rock — a stone
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — magic
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cue — a hint
  22. tube — a container
  23. stock — goods
  24. scale — in music

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