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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 116 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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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: capital · bore · dip · coach · wax · deal · club · perch

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. capital — a city
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bore — to drill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. capital — money
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — to tire
  23. club — for golf
  24. deal — an agreement

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