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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. file — a tool
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. firm — decided
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. degree — an amount
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. file — a document
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bat — in an idiom

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