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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.

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: wax · bound · pop · bass · bowl · game · current · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pop — music
  3. current — of water
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bass — low music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pop — soda
  10. bass — the fish
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bound — tied together
  18. current — electric
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bound — certain
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. current — happening now
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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