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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · calf · coach · pit · racket · capital · bound · march

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — certain
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — the month
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. march — the month
  14. bound — obliged
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wax — to grow
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. march — music
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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