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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · capital · degree · board · rock · safe · wax · leaves

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. capital — a city
  3. degree — an amount
  4. net — after costs
  5. degree — temperature
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wax — to grow
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. board — to get on
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rock — music
  19. board — a committee
  20. capital — money
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. degree — from a university

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