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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. capital — a city
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cue — a hint
  9. prune — to trim
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. object — a thing
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. capital — money
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cue — a signal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cue — for pool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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