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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. key — for a lock
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. key — in music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. capital — a city
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rock — music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bowl — a football final

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