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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: object · bore · field · wax · scale · fall · cabinet · track

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. track — a path
  4. field — a subject
  5. bore — to tire
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. field — for sport
  9. bore — to drill
  10. track — a song
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. track — to keep track
  15. scale — size or range
  16. object — a thing
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — in music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fall — the season
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. field — farmland

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