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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: mark · scale · leaves · wax · field · perch · safe · key

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mark — a grade
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. key — in music
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. scale — in music
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. field — for sport
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. key — for a lock
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wax — to grow
  22. field — a subject
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. safe — out of danger

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