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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
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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: fork · lie · coach · fine · staff · wake · prune · capital

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. capital — a city
  3. fine — all right
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fine — high quality
  8. capital — money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lie — to recline
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. staff — employees
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. prune — the fruit

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