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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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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: pound · rule · wax · scale · degree · foot · object · bat

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. object — an aim
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. object — to protest
  7. degree — from a university
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. object — a thing
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. scale — in music
  15. wax — to grow
  16. degree — temperature
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rule — government
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wax — in the ear

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