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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: net · sharp · stand · wax · cap · scale · root · kick

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. net — in sport
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. kick — in football
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. root — of a word
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. root — the cause
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. scale — in music
  19. net — for catching
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cap — a lid
  22. net — after costs
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stand — on your feet

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