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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cue — for pool
  11. content — the amount
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. cue — a signal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. content — happy
  24. cue — a hint

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