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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: drill · pass · bark · fine · wax · court · cap · pound

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fine — all right
  5. court — of a king
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wax — to grow
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pound — a weight
  15. court — for sport
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. drill — army training
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. court — of law
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cap — of ice

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