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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: deal · net · scale · stick · present · cap · wax · drill

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. net — after costs
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — in sport
  11. drill — army training
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cap — a lid
  15. deal — to handle
  16. net — for catching
  17. wax — to grow
  18. drill — the tool
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. scale — in music
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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