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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 · cue · racket · ruler · field · calf · craft · suit

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wax — to grow
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. craft — a skill
  9. suit — to fit
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. field — farmland
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. field — a subject
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. field — for sport
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cue — a signal
  20. craft — boats
  21. suit — in cards
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — clothes

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