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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
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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: club · ball · current · roll · sharp · wax · leaves · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. sharp — clever
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. current — happening now
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. current — of water
  11. club — for golf
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. club — a group
  15. wax — to grow
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. club — for dancing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. current — electric
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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