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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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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: pass · capital · pound · patient · cap · lie · coach · cell

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. capital — money
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. capital — a city
  14. cell — in biology
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lie — an untruth

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