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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: land · bat · staff · track · wax · key · stick · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. track — to keep track
  3. land — a country
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wax — to grow
  7. track — a song
  8. key — the most important part
  9. track — a path
  10. key — in music
  11. staff — employees
  12. land — ground
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. land — to come down
  18. bat — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. staff — a stick
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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