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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: fine · hide · scale · pit · wax · pop · lean · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — high quality
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pop — soda
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. capital — money
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lean — thin
  22. fine — all right
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lean — to rest against

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