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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: track · wax · staff · stick · bass · hand · date · land

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. date — the fruit
  4. land — to come down
  5. hand — in cards
  6. land — ground
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. staff — a stick
  9. track — a path
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wax — to grow
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hand — help
  15. land — a country
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. track — a song
  18. bass — the fish
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. staff — employees
  21. bass — low music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. staff — employees
  24. wax — for sculpting

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