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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: bowl · land · chip · bear · capital · wax · cap · cue

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. land — a country
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. cap — a lid
  7. capital — a city
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. land — to come down
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. land — ground
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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