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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: foot · coach · leaves · capital · ruler · branch · bowl · march

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. foot — a measure
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. capital — a city
  8. branch — a division
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. march — music
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. foot — part of the body

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