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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: march · fine · ruler · cap · net · current · wax · land

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. march — the month
  6. cap — a lid
  7. land — ground
  8. net — in sport
  9. land — to come down
  10. cap — a hat
  11. march — music
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. current — of water
  14. net — after costs
  15. land — a country
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — happening now
  18. march — the month
  19. current — electric
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. net — for catching

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