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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 120 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 · content · sharp · pit · staff · present · bat · cue

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wax — to grow
  3. content — the amount
  4. present — a gift
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pit — a hole
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. staff — employees
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. present — the time now
  15. content — happy
  16. cue — a hint
  17. staff — employees
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. present — there
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bat — the animal

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