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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · press · mine · mate · wax · cue · dip · club

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. club — for golf
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mate — a friend
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wax — to grow
  12. club — a group
  13. press — to push
  14. club — for dancing
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mine — for digging
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mate — a partner

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