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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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Word bank
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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: bank · mine · wax · club · mouse · cue · racket · cap

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. club — a group
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — a signal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bank — for money
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. club — for golf
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wax — to grow

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