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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. race — a contest
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. capital — money
  8. shower — rain
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bulb — for light
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wax — to grow
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. race — humankind
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. capital — a city
  24. pass — a permit

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