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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: fork · chair · bound · wax · present · mate · scale · squash

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bound — certain
  4. present — a gift
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. present — the time now
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mate — a partner
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. scale — in music
  20. present — there
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. squash — to crush
  24. chair — a professorship

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