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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 120 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: cap · wax · spring · mark · ball · wake · club · current

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ball — a great time
  5. club — a group
  6. spring — the season
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. current — electric
  10. club — for golf
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mark — a trace
  24. ball — a dance

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