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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. ground — a position
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bank — of a river
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. ground — crushed
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. wax — to grow
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. squash — the sport
  18. staff — a stick
  19. capital — a city
  20. bank — for money
  21. capital — money
  22. current — happening now
  23. bank — for money
  24. capital — a big letter

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