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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · key · cell · pop · pitcher · wax · row · track

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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. row — to paddle
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. track — to keep track
  14. row — a line
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pop — to visit
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pop — soda
  24. ruler — for measuring

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