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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: cue · pound · ball · arm · wax · date · season · scale

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. scale — in music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. scale — size or range
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cue — a hint
  13. season — in sport
  14. ball — a great time
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cue — for pool
  17. date — the fruit
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. season — of the year
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pound — a weight

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