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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
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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: wax · race · tube · key · band · cabinet · bowl · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. key — in music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. race — a contest
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. race — humankind
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. tube — a container
  13. key — for a lock
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. band — a ring
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. track — a path
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. key — the most important part
  24. race — the arms race

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