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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: mug · cue · prune · scale · wake · wax · tube · stock

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cue — a hint
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stock — goods
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mug — a face
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wake — a trail
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stock — shares
  19. scale — in music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. tube — a container
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mug — to rob

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