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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: track · cue · band · wax · land · content · rock · chest

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. chest — a box
  3. content — the amount
  4. chest — of your body
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cue — for pool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. track — a song
  11. band — a music group
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. land — ground
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. track — a path
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cue — a hint
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. band — a ring
  23. land — to come down
  24. rock — music

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