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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: track · pit · kick · key · pop · capital · wax · clip

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. key — for a lock
  4. track — a path
  5. pit — in a race
  6. kick — in football
  7. clip — for paper
  8. track — a song
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. key — in music
  13. clip — a video
  14. pop — music
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. capital — money
  20. key — the most important part
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pop — to visit
  23. capital — a city
  24. pop — soda

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