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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.

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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: pop · rock · stick · wax · game · track · hand · ground

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. game — wild animals
  3. track — to keep track
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rock — music
  10. track — a song
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rock — a stone
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ground — a position
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. game — a match
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ground — crushed
  24. track — a path

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