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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. club — for dancing
  4. band — a music group
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. club — a group
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. staff — a stick
  13. club — for golf
  14. wax — to grow
  15. band — a ring
  16. tube — a container
  17. staff — employees
  18. tube — the underground
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. capital — a city
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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