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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: wax · capital · perch · pitch · track · mouse · cabinet · chip

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. track — a song
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chip — to eat
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. capital — a city
  13. track — a path
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wax — to grow
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chip — for betting

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