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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · pass · root · object · capital · rash · scale · bowl

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. object — an aim
  8. root — the cause
  9. object — to protest
  10. rash — a series
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. object — a thing
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rash — hasty
  20. root — of a word
  21. capital — money
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pass — to succeed

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