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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: capital · squash · toast · pound · last · coach · craft · wax

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. toast — bread
  4. pound — a weight
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. craft — a skill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — finally
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. last — to go on
  14. craft — boats
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. last — final
  18. squash — to crush
  19. capital — a city
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. capital — money
  24. pound — for dogs

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