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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
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: cap · mate · rush · wax · squash · capital · ball · stock

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. capital — a city
  9. stock — goods
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. capital — money
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stock — shares
  24. squash — the sport

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