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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: mate · band · wax · cabinet · scale · stock · present · calf

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. band — a music group
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mate — a partner
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stock — shares
  13. present — the time now
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. present — there
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. present — a gift
  24. band — a ring

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