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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: mine · capital · bowl · nail · present · hand · coach · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. present — the time now
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pit — a hole
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mine — for digging
  9. present — there
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. capital — money
  16. present — a gift
  17. hand — in cards
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. capital — a city
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. hand — help
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mine — belonging to me

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