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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: arm · perch · patient · track · scale · foot · wax · craft

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. scale — size or range
  5. track — to keep track
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. craft — boats
  9. perch — the fish
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. foot — a measure
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. scale — in music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. track — a path
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wax — to grow

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