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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 124 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wake — a trail
  4. track — a song
  5. spring — of water
  6. suit — in cards
  7. spring — the season
  8. current — electric
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. current — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. suit — to fit
  22. current — happening now
  23. bat — the animal
  24. suit — clothes

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