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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 · spell · ground · capital · branch · bore · wax · ball

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pit — in a race
  3. ground — a position
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. capital — money
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. branch — a division
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bore — to drill
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. spell — magic
  22. pit — a hole
  23. capital — a city
  24. ground — crushed

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