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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: pitcher · coach · wax · arm · ruler · mark · deal · capital

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wax — to grow
  3. capital — a city
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. capital — money
  6. mark — a trace
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. deal — to handle
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mark — a grade
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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