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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. object — a thing
  6. cue — a signal
  7. land — a country
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. land — to come down
  10. cue — for pool
  11. land — ground
  12. object — an aim
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cue — a hint
  15. craft — boats
  16. object — to protest
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. craft — a skill

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