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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.

Make a worksheet

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: coach · capital · bear · band · wave · pitcher · cap · nail

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. capital — money
  11. cap — of ice
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bear — the animal
  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