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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 116 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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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: patient · content · root · club · pound · stand · wax · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cue — for pool
  9. club — for golf
  10. root — of a word
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. club — for dancing
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pound — a weight
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. stand — to bear
  17. content — the amount
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. root — the cause
  21. cue — a signal
  22. content — happy
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — a group

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