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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 · wax · rush · fine · content · game · pop · swing

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pop — soda
  3. swing — to play on
  4. game — a match
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. content — the amount
  8. fine — all right
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. content — happy
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cue — for pool
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. swing — music

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