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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
468
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: perch · key · rash · wax · chip · pound · track · spring

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. track — a path
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wax — to grow
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pound — a weight
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rash — a series
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rash — hasty
  17. key — in music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spring — of water
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. key — for a lock
  23. spring — the season
  24. chip — for betting

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