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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.

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: fine · track · pop · wax · chair · scale · cell · mouse

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. track — a path
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. track — a song
  9. cell — a phone
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pop — soda
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chair — a leader
  17. scale — in music
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pop — music
  24. chair — a professorship

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