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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 120 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: present · capital · key · pitch · rash · racket · rule · wax

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. present — the time now
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. key — the most important part
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wax — to grow
  8. present — there
  9. rash — a series
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rash — hasty
  12. capital — money
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. capital — a city
  15. rule — a law
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. present — a gift
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rule — government
  24. pitch — a sports field

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