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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: court · date · band · rock · wax · charge · jam · key

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rock — music
  3. band — a ring
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. charge — in control
  7. court — of a king
  8. rock — a stone
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. court — for sport
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. key — the most important part
  17. charge — a price
  18. wax — to grow
  19. band — a music group
  20. date — the fruit
  21. court — of law
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wax — in the ear

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