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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cue · row · net · racket · calf · scale · deal

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. net — after costs
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. row — to paddle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. row — a line
  16. deal — to handle
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. scale — in music
  20. net — for catching
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. net — in sport
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. scale — size or range

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