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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. board — a committee
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wound — an injury
  16. board — to get on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. march — the month
  21. pop — music
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cue — a signal
  24. date — the fruit

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