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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. track — to keep track
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hand — help
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rest — a break
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. staff — employees
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wax — to grow
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cue — a hint
  14. staff — employees
  15. suit — clothes
  16. staff — a stick
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rest — what's left
  19. track — a song
  20. suit — to fit
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. track — a path
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rest — what's left

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