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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · scale · charge · trunk · ball · wax · rest · racket

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ball — a dance
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rest — what's left
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — in control
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rest — a break
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. charge — a price
  19. scale — in music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. scale — size or range
  24. racket — for tennis

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