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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chip — to eat
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cap — a hat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. can — a tin
  13. net — after costs
  14. can — a tin
  15. branch — a division
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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