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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: rock · cap · wax · board · root · sharp · fall · ball

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. root — of a plant
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. root — of a word
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cap — a lid
  14. ball — a dance
  15. board — to get on
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rock — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fall — the season
  21. sharp — clever
  22. root — the cause
  23. ball — a great time
  24. board — a committee

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