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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: wax · plane · club · mine · pitch · deal · cue · craft

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. club — a group
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. club — for golf
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. deal — to handle
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cue — for pool
  24. plane — in geometry

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