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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: pitcher · pass · sharp · wax · date · band · drill · club

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. club — for golf
  3. drill — the tool
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pass — a permit
  6. sharp — clever
  7. band — a music group
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. drill — army training
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. band — a ring
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. drill — a practice
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitcher — a jug

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