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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: racket · face · land · fork · pitch · capital · coach · roll

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. land — ground
  6. roll — a list
  7. face — to confront
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. capital — a city
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. land — a country
  12. capital — money
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. face — part of the head
  24. land — to come down

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