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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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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: cell · clip · scale · bay · pit · deal · fork · wax

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. scale — in music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cell — a phone
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. clip — to cut
  14. deal — to handle
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. clip — a video
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. deal — a big deal

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