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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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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: wax · band · craft · staff · pound · key · bulb · race

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. staff — a stick
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bulb — for light
  8. race — humankind
  9. wax — to grow
  10. band — a ring
  11. race — the arms race
  12. staff — employees
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. craft — boats
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bulb — for light
  21. race — a contest
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. band — a music group
  24. key — for a lock

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