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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.

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: rash · coach · capital · dip · swing · mark · toast · bore

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. capital — a city
  3. bore — to drill
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. swing — music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. swing — in golf
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. mark — a grade
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. toast — bread

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