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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. present — the time now
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. present — there
  13. capital — money
  14. present — a gift
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bound — certain
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cap — a lid
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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