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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. court — of law
  4. current — electric
  5. cue — for pool
  6. present — there
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — for sport
  13. cue — a signal
  14. present — the time now
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. current — of water
  17. wound — an injury
  18. current — happening now
  19. court — of a king
  20. present — a gift
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wax — in the ear

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