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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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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: leaves · spell · pound · pit · wax · ground · bulb · scale

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. ground — a position
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — a hole
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. spell — letters
  11. ground — crushed
  12. scale — size or range
  13. spell — magic
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. scale — in music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bulb — for light
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ground — the earth

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