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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. roll — a list
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wax — to grow
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pop — to visit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. key — for a lock
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pass — a permit
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cue — for pool
  16. drill — army training
  17. pop — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. drill — the tool
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. date — the fruit
  22. key — in music
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. key — the most important part

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