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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · kid · bark · season · cabinet · stand · object · wax

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. object — to protest
  3. stand — to bear
  4. object — a thing
  5. scale — in music
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. object — an aim
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. season — of the year
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. scale — size or range
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. kid — to tease
  20. season — in sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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