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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. capital — a city
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. roll — a cake
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. roll — a list
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chip — for betting
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wax — to grow
  21. capital — money
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bowl — a dish

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