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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: scale · bulb · bound · pitch · toast · bat · cabinet · wax

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bulb — for light
  4. scale — in music
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bound — certain
  16. wax — to grow
  17. toast — bread
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bulb — for light

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