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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: bass · court · scale · wave · pass · ruler · stock · wax

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. court — for sport
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. court — of a king
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stock — goods
  17. bass — the fish
  18. scale — in music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stock — shares
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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