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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. race — a contest
  3. object — to protest
  4. bulb — for light
  5. season — of the year
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — a country
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wax — to grow
  12. land — to come down
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. season — in sport
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. scale — in music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. land — ground
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — to add flavour

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