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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.

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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 · suit · racket · rock · pop · capital · fan · drill

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. suit — to fit
  3. capital — money
  4. drill — army training
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pop — music
  13. capital — a city
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pop — soda
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rock — a stone
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pop — to visit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rock — music

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