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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.

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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: safe · season · scale · content · net · wax · cabinet · field

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. field — farmland
  3. net — for catching
  4. wax — to grow
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — in music
  8. content — the amount
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. field — a subject
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. season — in sport
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. season — of the year
  16. content — happy
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. net — after costs
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — for sport
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. net — in sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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