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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.

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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: track · key · fall · ground · wax · date · mate · club

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. track — a song
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. key — in music
  6. track — a path
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. key — for a lock
  12. club — a group
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ground — crushed
  15. club — for golf
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wax — to grow
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fall — to drop

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