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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: wax · date · fine · row · net · capital · rash · fork

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. net — for catching
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fork — in a road
  8. capital — a city
  9. row — to paddle
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. capital — money
  13. rash — a series
  14. row — a line
  15. rash — hasty
  16. net — in sport
  17. fine — all right
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. net — after costs
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wax — for sculpting

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