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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rest — a break
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. key — the most important part
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ball — a dance
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bass — low music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. key — for a lock
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rest — what's left

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