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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: wake · deal · capital · pitcher · coach · pit · key · scale

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. capital — money
  5. key — for a lock
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. scale — size or range
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. key — in music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. capital — a city
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — a trail
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pit — a hole
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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