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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: wax · temple · capital · pop · dip · bowl · net · stand

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. wax — to grow
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stand — to bear
  9. capital — money
  10. pop — music
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. pop — to visit
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. capital — a city
  20. pop — soda
  21. net — after costs
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. dip — to sink
  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