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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: coach · nail · dip · capital · tube · board · ball · jam

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a dance
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. dip — to sink
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tube — a container

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