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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: deal · wax · track · board · fall · content · scale · date

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. fall — the season
  2. track — to keep track
  3. deal — to handle
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. board — to get on
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wax — to grow
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. track — a song
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. scale — in music
  22. track — a path
  23. board — a committee
  24. wax — for sculpting

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