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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · net · capital · foot · patient · court · wax · toast

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pop — music
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. court — of a king
  6. net — in sport
  7. court — of law
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. capital — a city
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. net — for catching
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. toast — bread
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pop — soda
  16. net — after costs
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. foot — a measure
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. court — for sport
  23. pop — to visit
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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