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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · shower · ball · spell · wax · scale · content · pass

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. content — happy
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. scale — in music
  13. spell — magic
  14. ball — a dance
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ball — a great time
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. key — in music
  24. spell — letters

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