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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.

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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: bat · staff · rash · suit · jam · coach · capital · pop

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. staff — employees
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. capital — money
  6. rash — a series
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. capital — a city
  10. pop — soda
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. staff — a stick
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pop — music
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rash — hasty
  23. suit — clothes
  24. staff — employees

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