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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 · wake · pitcher · hand · jam · spring · cue · club

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cue — a signal
  5. spring — the season
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cue — a hint
  9. club — for dancing
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wax — to grow
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. hand — help
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pitcher — a jug

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