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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. season — in sport
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rock — music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. field — a subject
  9. season — of the year
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bark — to shout
  14. craft — boats
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rule — government
  18. cue — a signal
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rule — a law
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. craft — a handicraft

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