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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. object — an aim
  3. cue — a signal
  4. degree — from a university
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. object — a thing
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. degree — an amount
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. object — to protest
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cue — a hint
  16. branch — a division
  17. swing — music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. degree — temperature
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cue — for pool

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