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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 120 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: key · wax · scale · stock · fork · stand · bound · branch

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. stock — shares
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bound — obliged
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. key — the most important part
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bound — certain
  16. key — in music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. branch — a division
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stock — goods
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wax — to grow

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