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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: pit · object · net · kick · band · key · content · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. key — in music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wax — to grow
  7. key — for a lock
  8. content — happy
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. key — the most important part
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pit — a hole
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. band — a ring
  22. kick — in football
  23. band — a music group
  24. object — an aim

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