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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: cue · wax · game · rash · court · calf · row · dip

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. court — for sport
  3. wax — to grow
  4. game — a match
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. game — wild animals
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cue — a hint
  11. court — of a king
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. row — a line
  17. rash — hasty
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. court — of law
  24. dip — to sink

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