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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: can · pound · capital · wax · pass · pitch · bulb · coach

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — a tin
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. capital — money
  16. can — to be able to
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — a city
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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