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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bass — low music
  4. chair — a leader
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cue — a signal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ball — a great time
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. spring — the season
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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