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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stem — to come from
  7. club — a group
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. present — a gift
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. scale — size or range
  16. can — a tin
  17. present — there
  18. wax — to grow
  19. present — the time now
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. can — a tin
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. club — for golf

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