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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 120 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: pass · fork · bound · season · ball · scale · wax · rule

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bound — certain
  5. season — of the year
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wax — to grow
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. scale — in music
  15. season — in sport
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rule — government
  18. ball — a dance
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rule — a law
  24. fork — a garden tool

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