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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: race · club · cue · roll · wax · current · pass · wound

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — a signal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. race — a contest
  8. cue — for pool
  9. roll — a list
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wound — an injury
  15. current — of water
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. roll — a cake
  19. club — for golf
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. current — happening now
  22. race — humankind
  23. wax — to grow
  24. current — electric

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