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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.

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: squash · capital · kick · cue · pitch · object · dip · wax

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. capital — money
  9. squash — to crush
  10. object — to protest
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. object — an aim
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cue — for pool
  17. object — a thing
  18. pitch — completely
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wax — to grow
  21. kick — in football
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. squash — the vegetable

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