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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: degree · pound · wax · cap · leaves · chip · calf · mark

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cap — of ice
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. degree — an amount
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chip — for betting
  10. degree — from a university
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pound — to hit hard

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