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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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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: vault · craft · suit · capital · bowl · wax · pitch · stand

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. craft — boats
  9. capital — a city
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pitch — completely
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. capital — money
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. suit — in cards
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. vault — a safe
  22. suit — to fit
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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