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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.

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: scale · stock · chair · bass · track · root · wax · lash

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. root — of a word
  4. wax — to grow
  5. chair — a leader
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. root — the cause
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. scale — in music
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. scale — size or range
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bass — low music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. track — a song

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