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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cap — of ice
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rash — hasty
  10. capital — money
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cap — a hat
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cue — a signal
  20. capital — a city
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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