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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · cap · foot · staff · fan · board · wax · rule

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. board — to get on
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — a committee
  8. rule — a law
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. staff — employees
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rule — government
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pop — soda
  18. cap — a lid
  19. foot — a measure
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. rule — to rule out

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