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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · cue · cabinet · wax · rule · track · bass · bark

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rule — a law
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bass — low music
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cue — a signal
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cue — a hint

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