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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mark — a grade
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. club — for dancing
  11. can — a tin
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cue — for pool
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bear — the animal

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