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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: jam · mate · racket · perch · wax · key · capital · mouse

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. capital — money
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mate — a friend
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mate — a partner
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. key — in music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wax — to grow
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mate — to breed
  23. key — the most important part
  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