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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: game · bore · bound · ball · wax · mark · scale · file

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. game — wild animals
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ball — a dance
  14. file — a document
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bore — to tire
  17. file — a tool
  18. scale — in music
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. file — a line of people
  24. game — a match

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