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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.

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: capital · bat · rock · press · plane · coach · cue · tear

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cue — a hint
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bat — the animal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. press — a publisher
  14. capital — a city
  15. tear — from crying
  16. press — newspapers
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rock — a stone
  19. tear — to rip
  20. cue — for pool
  21. tear — from crying
  22. press — to push
  23. rock — music
  24. cue — a signal

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