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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: ground · wax · bore · wind · net · ball · pop · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. net — for catching
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ground — a position
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bore — to drill
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cue — a signal
  20. net — in sport
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ball — a great time
  23. net — after costs
  24. pop — to visit

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