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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: deal · plane · wax · pitcher · coach · cue · can · bark

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cue — for pool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bark — to shout
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. can — a tin
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wax — to grow
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitcher — a jug

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