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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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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: rush · cue · net · roll · wax · bay · stock · game

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. net — for catching
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. net — after costs
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. net — in sport
  12. game — a match
  13. stock — shares
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stock — goods
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cue — a signal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rush — hurry
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wax — to grow

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