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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · capital · pitch · tube · perch · bulb · wax · stand

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tube — a container
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. tube — the underground
  9. capital — a city
  10. pitch — completely
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — all right
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fine — high quality
  20. capital — money
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stand — to bear

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