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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: track · pitcher · bulb · cap · fall · scale · cabinet · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fall — to drop
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fall — the season
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. track — a path
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — a song
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cap — of ice
  21. scale — in music
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bulb — of a plant

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