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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.

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: wax · date · mine · object · court · key · scale · file

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wax — to grow
  3. file — a document
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. scale — in music
  6. file — a tool
  7. mine — for digging
  8. court — of a king
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. court — for sport
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. object — an aim
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. key — for a lock
  17. object — to protest
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. key — in music
  20. file — a line of people
  21. court — of law
  22. date — the fruit
  23. object — a thing
  24. key — the most important part

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