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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: scale · wax · track · arm · pass · degree · toast · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. track — to keep track
  4. toast — bread
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. track — a song
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. track — a path
  14. scale — in music
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — size or range
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pass — to spend time

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