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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. capital — money
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. degree — an amount
  9. swing — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pop — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bank — for money
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pop — soda

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