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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: content · pitcher · nail · wax · coach · mug · bear · capital

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bear — the animal
  3. capital — money
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. content — the amount
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. content — happy
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. capital — a city
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mug — a face
  24. capital — a big letter

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