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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 120 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 · race · cap · rule · key · foot · pitcher · content

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. foot — a measure
  3. race — the arms race
  4. content — the amount
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. key — in music
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rule — government
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cap — of ice
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. race — humankind
  15. wax — to grow
  16. race — a contest
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. key — for a lock
  19. content — happy
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rule — a law

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