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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. can — to be able to
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — the underground
  7. capital — a city
  8. chest — of your body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. capital — money
  12. can — a tin
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. suit — to fit
  17. chest — a box
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. tube — a container
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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