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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · bass · scale · wax · stick · game · capital · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. capital — money
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. capital — a city
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. scale — in music
  18. bass — low music
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. game — wild animals
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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