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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
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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: trunk · toast · ball · pitcher · mug · root · wax · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ball — a dance
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. toast — bread
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wax — to grow
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cue — for pool
  15. root — of a word
  16. mug — a cup
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. root — the cause
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ball — a great time

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