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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.

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: plane · pitcher · capital · rash · wax · key · staff · band

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. capital — a city
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rash — hasty
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rash — a series
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. staff — employees
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. staff — employees
  15. wax — to grow
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. staff — a stick
  24. capital — money

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