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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. current — electric
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. court — of law
  11. content — the amount
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rest — a break
  14. current — of water
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. court — of a king
  19. pop — to visit
  20. court — for sport
  21. current — happening now
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. content — happy

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