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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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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: wax · pitch · wake · cabinet · firm · bear · game · capital

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. capital — a city
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bear — the animal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. capital — money
  9. pitch — completely
  10. firm — a company
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. game — a match
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wax — to grow
  20. firm — decided
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. firm — steady

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