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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · bay · coach · cue · root · club · court · dip

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. club — for golf
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. cue — for pool
  9. court — of a king
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cue — a hint
  12. dip — to sink
  13. root — of a plant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. club — a group
  16. cue — a signal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wax — to grow
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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