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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: cue · jam · rush · track · court · season · file · wax

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cue — for pool
  3. court — of a king
  4. cue — a signal
  5. track — a song
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. track — to keep track
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. court — for sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. track — a path
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. court — of law
  17. season — in sport
  18. file — a tool
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cue — a hint
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. file — a document
  24. wax — to grow

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