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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: file · pass · wax · perch · fine · club · shower · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fine — all right
  3. file — a tool
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wax — to grow
  6. file — a line of people
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. file — a document
  12. capital — a city
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. pass — a permit
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. club — for dancing
  24. perch — for a bird

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