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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: charge · scale · wake · bat · file · wax · craft · court

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. charge — in control
  6. court — of a king
  7. scale — size or range
  8. craft — a skill
  9. file — a line of people
  10. scale — in music
  11. court — of law
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. craft — boats
  14. file — a document
  15. bat — the animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. charge — a price
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. court — for sport
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. file — a 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