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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: cabinet · mine · scale · bulb · wax · pit · cue · wind

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — in music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mine — an explosive

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