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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. land — to come down
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cue — a signal
  9. land — ground
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ball — a great time
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bear — the animal
  14. land — a country
  15. cue — for pool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. row — to paddle
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. row — a line
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wax — to grow

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