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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: fork · capital · ground · tube · staff · arm · rule · wax

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. capital — money
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rule — government
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tube — a container
  10. ground — a position
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. tube — the underground
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rule — a law

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