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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: pitch · craft · capital · coach · prune · bound · cap · jam

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cap — a lid
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bound — certain
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cap — of ice
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bound — tied together
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. craft — boats
  12. capital — money
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cap — a hat
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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