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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · wax · pit · plane · chip · bark · present · fall

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fall — to drop
  3. present — there
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pit — in a race
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. chip — for betting
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chip — to eat
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. present — the time now
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wax — to grow
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fall — the season
  22. pit — a hole
  23. scale — size or range
  24. present — a gift

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