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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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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. branch — a division
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fine — all right
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cap — of ice
  14. season — of the year
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chip — to eat
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. season — in sport

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