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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. track — a path
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. date — the fruit
  6. net — for catching
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. key — in music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. track — to keep track
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. track — a song
  23. wax — to grow
  24. date — on the calendar

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