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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. scale — size or range
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. degree — an amount
  7. scale — in music
  8. cue — a hint
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bound — certain
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wax — to grow
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mouse — the animal

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