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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. current — electric
  4. present — the time now
  5. scale — size or range
  6. object — to protest
  7. capital — money
  8. current — of water
  9. wax — to grow
  10. land — ground
  11. capital — a city
  12. land — to come down
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. current — happening now
  15. present — there
  16. object — a thing
  17. present — a gift
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. land — a country
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. object — an aim
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. scale — in music

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