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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: present · wax · rush · pitcher · cue · band · chair · firm

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. firm — steady
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cue — for pool
  10. present — a gift
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chair — a leader
  13. band — a ring
  14. firm — a company
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cue — a hint
  18. firm — decided
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. rush — hurry
  24. band — a music group

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