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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bass — low music
  8. board — a committee
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. board — to get on
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. scale — in music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mate — a partner
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bass — the fish
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bass — the instrument

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