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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 116 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: track · pitcher · scale · court · wax · stem · key · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. court — of law
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. scale — in music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — to come from
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. key — in music
  14. court — for sport
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. track — a path
  17. key — the most important part
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. court — of a king
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stem — a stem cell

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