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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. capital — money
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. prune — to trim
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. key — in music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. board — to get on
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. capital — a city
  16. key — the most important part
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. board — a committee
  19. wax — to grow
  20. key — for a lock
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. board — a flat piece

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