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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: wax · rule · safe · ball · net · kid · cue · pit

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ball — a great time
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. kid — child
  7. pit — a hole
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — in a race
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rule — government
  18. cue — for pool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. net — after costs
  22. rule — a law
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. kid — to tease

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