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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 120 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: wax · cap · swing · bear · bulb · scale · press · fork

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. press — to push
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. scale — in music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bulb — for light
  21. scale — size or range
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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