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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: content · kick · capital · racket · wax · vault · plane · dip

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. plane — a tool
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. capital — money
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wax — to grow
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. dip — to sink
  24. racket — for tennis

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