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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wax — to grow
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. club — for dancing
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. capital — money
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. club — a group
  16. capital — a city
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. club — for golf
  22. branch — a division
  23. squash — to crush
  24. kick — a thrill

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