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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 120 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: last · game · wax · key · row · pop · stock · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. key — in music
  6. stock — shares
  7. pop — music
  8. game — a match
  9. row — a line
  10. pop — to visit
  11. last — finally
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pop — soda
  16. key — the most important part
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cue — a signal
  21. last — to go on
  22. cue — a hint
  23. last — final
  24. stock — goods

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