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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: pitch · plane · rock · capital · coach · ball · staff · bound

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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. rock — music
  4. bound — certain
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — employees
  8. bound — obliged
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rock — a stone
  11. staff — employees
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ball — a dance
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bound — tied together

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