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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: wax · mark · trunk · lie · cue · scale · pitch · club

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cue — for pool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wax — to grow
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. club — a group
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. club — for golf
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mark — a grade
  22. scale — in music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. scale — size or range

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