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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · mate · dip · wax · pop · root · mouse · ground

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pop — music
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pop — soda
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. root — of a plant
  12. ground — a position
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cap — a lid
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. mate — to breed

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