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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
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: pitch · track · key · mouse · drill · charge · date · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. drill — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. key — in music
  10. date — the fruit
  11. drill — army training
  12. key — for a lock
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. track — a path
  16. charge — a price
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. charge — in control
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wax — to grow
  22. drill — a practice
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitch — completely

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