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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fork — in a road
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wax — to grow
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. scale — size or range
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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