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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: toast · capital · plane · cue · mark · wax · racket · lean

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. capital — a city
  9. lean — thin
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. toast — bread
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. capital — money
  18. cue — a hint
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. cue — a signal
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cue — for pool

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