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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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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: dip · stick · rule · wax · cue · season · court · band

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. court — for sport
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. band — a music group
  11. court — of law
  12. band — a ring
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cue — for pool
  16. season — of the year
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rule — government
  22. court — of a king
  23. rule — a law
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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