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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 · march · stock · capital · patient · bay · cue

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cue — for pool
  3. march — the month
  4. scale — size or range
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. scale — in music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. capital — a city
  14. stock — goods
  15. march — music
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stock — shares
  18. wax — to grow
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. capital — money
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. march — the month
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wax — in the ear

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