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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cap — a lid
  5. staff — employees
  6. capital — a city
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. capital — money
  13. wax — to grow
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bank — for money
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rock — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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