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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
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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: scale · wax · pop · key · cell · wave · capital · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pop — soda
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. root — of a word
  8. scale — size or range
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. capital — a city
  13. key — the most important part
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. scale — in music
  19. key — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pop — music
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wax — to grow

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