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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: deal · lean · content · capital · roll · coach · jam · bear

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. capital — money
  6. bear — the animal
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. roll — a list
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. roll — a cake
  14. content — the amount
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. lean — to bend
  17. content — happy
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. lean — thin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. deal — to handle

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