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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 116 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: bear · chair · wax · craft · fine · scale · mark · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. scale — size or range
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. scale — in music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fine — all right
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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