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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: dip · cell · ruler · sharp · pound · pitcher · key · wax

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. dip — to sink
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pound — a weight
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. key — in music
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — in a prison

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