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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rock — a stone
  8. band — a ring
  9. capital — a city
  10. mark — a grade
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. capital — money
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rock — music
  15. band — a music group
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lean — thin
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. lean — to bend

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