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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: ball · current · firm · wax · track · bound · coach · capital

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — electric
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. bound — certain
  6. capital — a city
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ball — a dance
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. current — of water
  12. bound — obliged
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. current — happening now
  17. firm — decided
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. track — a song
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bound — tied together
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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