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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — government
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pop — music
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bound — certain
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rule — a law
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pop — soda
  24. bound — obliged

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