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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: scale · lean · pound · bear · cap · wax · track · suit

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wax — to grow
  3. track — a song
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lean — thin
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cap — a hat
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. track — a path
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. scale — in music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lean — to bend

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