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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: plane · date · scale · mine · key · wave · wax · pop

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — in music
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. key — in music
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pop — music
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pop — soda
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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