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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 116 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: capital · pass · coach · dip · cap · row · pitcher · bowl

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. cap — a hat
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. capital — a city
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. capital — money
  9. row — a line
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pass — a permit
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cap — of ice

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