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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: pit · cap · wax · mouse · land · row · squash · vault

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pit — a hole
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. land — a country
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. row — to paddle
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pit — in a race
  14. row — a line
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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