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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pop — music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wax — to grow
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. key — in music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. track — a song
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pop — soda
  15. date — the fruit
  16. track — a path
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. scale — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stand — to bear

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