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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mug — a face
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stock — shares
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ground — crushed
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stock — goods
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ground — a position
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fork — to eat with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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