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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: wax · scale · chip · date · coach · cabinet · pound · last

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — to grow
  7. last — final
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pound — a weight
  11. scale — size or range
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chip — for betting
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. last — to go on
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. scale — in music
  24. last — finally

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