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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: race · jam · content · mark · spell · mine · wax · cue

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cue — for pool
  4. race — a contest
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. race — the arms race
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. spell — letters
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. content — the amount
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cue — a signal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. spell — magic
  20. race — humankind
  21. mine — for digging
  22. content — happy
  23. wax — to grow
  24. content — videos and posts

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