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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.

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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: season · fall · foot · wax · lean · field · track · scale

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fall — the season
  3. season — in sport
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. field — farmland
  10. lean — thin
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. season — of the year
  15. lean — to bend
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. scale — in music
  18. track — a path
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. field — for sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. field — a subject
  23. foot — a measure
  24. track — a song

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