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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · current · rash · capital · fine · wax · cap · root

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rash — hasty
  3. current — happening now
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. root — of a word
  6. capital — money
  7. pop — music
  8. fine — all right
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. capital — a city
  11. pop — soda
  12. current — electric
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. root — the cause
  16. rash — a series
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cap — of ice
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cap — a lid
  22. root — of a plant
  23. current — of water
  24. cap — a hat

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