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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: pitcher · bulb · staff · wax · toast · march · scale · spell

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. march — the month
  4. wax — to grow
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spell — magic
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. spell — letters
  12. staff — employees
  13. spell — a short time
  14. scale — in music
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. toast — bread
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bulb — for light

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