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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. scale — size or range
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ground — the earth
  12. band — a ring
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ground — a position
  18. kid — child
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pass — a permit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a music group
  23. fine — all right
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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