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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. capital — money
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. drill — army training
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. can — to be able to
  15. capital — a city
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bat — the animal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. can — a tin

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