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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pop — music
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pop — to visit
  12. field — for sport
  13. cue — for pool
  14. field — a subject
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. field — farmland
  23. pop — soda
  24. wave — of the sea

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