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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. suit — in cards
  3. race — humankind
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. scale — in music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cap — of ice
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bat — the animal
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. roll — a cake
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rule — a law
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. roll — a list
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rule — government
  23. race — a contest
  24. wax — for sculpting

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