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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. track — a path
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. track — a song
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chair — a leader
  20. stand — to bear
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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