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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.

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: kid · rock · pitcher · net · content · cue · suit · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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 — in the ear
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wax — to grow
  4. net — in sport
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rock — a stone
  7. suit — to fit
  8. net — after costs
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rock — music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. net — for catching
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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