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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: fan · date · pound · wax · ruler · capital · pit · cabinet

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. date — the fruit
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ruler — for measuring

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