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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: mark · foot · wax · suit · pound · scale · bound · drill

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bound — obliged
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. scale — size or range
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bound — certain
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. scale — in music
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mark — a grade
  23. foot — a measure
  24. drill — army training

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