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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mark — a grade
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pop — soda
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. spell — letters
  12. pop — music
  13. wax — to grow
  14. branch — a division
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — size or range
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. spell — magic
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. calf — a young 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