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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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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: dip · last · capital · ball · bass · wax · fork · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. last — to go on
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bass — low music
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wax — to grow
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. dip — to sink

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