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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: ruler · track · ground · club · patient · vault · wax · cue

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cue — for pool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cue — a signal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. track — a song
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. club — for golf
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cue — a hint
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. club — a group
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. club — for dancing
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ruler — a monarch

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