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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: firm · capital · bore · wax · track · ball · bowl · current

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. ball — a dance
  7. current — electric
  8. track — a path
  9. capital — a city
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. track — a song
  13. capital — money
  14. wax — to grow
  15. current — of water
  16. firm — steady
  17. ball — a great time
  18. firm — a company
  19. current — happening now
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. firm — decided

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