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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: perch · patient · wound · pop · wax · cabinet · cap · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cap — a lid
  3. scale — size or range
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wound — an injury
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pop — music
  19. wound — an injury
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pop — soda
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. scale — in music
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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