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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. key — in music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — a city
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pop — music
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pop — soda
  17. cap — a lid
  18. key — for a lock
  19. capital — money
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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