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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mug — a cup
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. current — of water
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. capital — a city
  8. present — the time now
  9. current — happening now
  10. mark — a grade
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. mug — a face
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rock — music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. current — electric
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pound — to hit hard

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