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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · cue · key · game · wax · band · pass · club

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. band — a music group
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. club — for golf
  7. cue — a signal
  8. game — a match
  9. club — a group
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cue — a hint
  15. key — for a lock
  16. band — a ring
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. ground — the earth
  19. club — for dancing
  20. key — in music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ground — a position

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