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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: fork · cap · fine · rest · present · wax · mouse · scale

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cap — a hat
  7. present — the time now
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fine — all right
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. present — a gift
  15. rest — a break
  16. cap — a lid
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — in music
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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