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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cue — for pool
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mug — a face
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. net — after costs
  17. track — a song
  18. cue — a signal
  19. net — for catching
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pop — music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. net — in sport
  24. track — a path

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