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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: wax · scale · firm · staff · last · land · bound · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. land — a country
  4. bound — certain
  5. last — finally
  6. wax — to grow
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bound — tied together
  9. scale — size or range
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. firm — a company
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. last — to go on
  16. bound — obliged
  17. scale — in music
  18. last — final
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. staff — employees
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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