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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. drill — army training
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wax — to grow
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. scale — size or range
  7. drill — a practice
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. scale — in music
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. drill — the tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stand — to bear
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stand — for spectators

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