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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: tube · mug · fine · swing · capital · coach · bass · cap

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. capital — a city
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bass — low music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cap — a lid
  9. swing — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fine — all right
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cap — of ice
  20. capital — money
  21. tube — a container
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bass — the instrument

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