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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. object — a thing
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — to protest
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. row — a line
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. degree — from a university
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wax — to grow
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. object — an aim

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