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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: key · shower · deal · wax · current · cue · pitch · last

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. current — happening now
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. last — final
  11. wax — to grow
  12. key — in music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. last — finally
  15. current — of water
  16. deal — to handle
  17. last — to go on
  18. shower — to wash
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. shower — rain
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cue — for pool

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