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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: chip · pound · content · key · pass · row · coach · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chip — for betting
  8. key — the most important part
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pass — a permit
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. key — for a lock
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. row — a line
  17. key — in music
  18. pound — a weight
  19. content — the amount
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wax — to grow
  23. content — happy
  24. pass — to succeed

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