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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: fall · wax · pop · bound · jam · mug · scale · fork

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. scale — in music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mug — to rob
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — certain
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bound — obliged
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pop — music
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pop — soda
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mug — a face

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