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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: vault · scale · patient · toast · wax · ball · fork · perch

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wax — to grow
  9. toast — bread
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. scale — in music
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. scale — size or range
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. wax — in the ear

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