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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wax — to grow
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bear — the animal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. toast — bread
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. degree — from a university
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bear — the animal
  20. degree — temperature
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. cap — of ice
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. club — a group

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