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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 · bear · land · pit · capital · current · wake · craft

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. craft — a skill
  3. land — a country
  4. current — happening now
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. land — to come down
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. current — of water
  14. craft — boats
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — electric
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bear — the animal
  19. capital — a city
  20. land — ground
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wax — to grow
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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