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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.

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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
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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: field · rock · coach · racket · cabinet · firm · capital · rule

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. field — farmland
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. firm — decided
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. capital — money
  13. firm — steady
  14. rule — government
  15. capital — a city
  16. rock — music
  17. field — a subject
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. firm — a company
  20. rule — a law
  21. field — for sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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