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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. game — wild animals
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. capital — a city
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lean — to bend
  10. capital — money
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. net — after costs
  13. rush — hurry
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. foot — a measure
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. capital — a big letter

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