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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: bowl · ground · wax · capital · mouse · pop · bay · bank

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pop — soda
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. capital — a city
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pop — music
  8. ground — crushed
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. capital — money
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. ground — a position

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