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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 120 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 · court · pit · branch · scale · capital · coach · pass

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pass — a permit
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pitch — completely
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — in a race
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. scale — in music
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. court — of a king
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. court — of law
  18. pit — a hole
  19. court — for sport
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. capital — a city
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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