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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: key · cabinet · march · track · sharp · spell · wax · stand

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. track — a song
  8. march — the month
  9. spell — letters
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. march — music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. spell — magic
  17. march — the month
  18. key — in music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wax — in the ear

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