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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 · date · game · press · cue · ground · pass · march

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wax — to grow
  6. game — wild animals
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cue — for pool
  10. press — newspapers
  11. march — music
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. press — to push
  14. ground — the earth
  15. game — a match
  16. march — the month
  17. date — the fruit
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ground — a position
  20. pass — a permit
  21. march — the month
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ground — crushed

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