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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.

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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: pop · coach · kick · capital · mouse · racket · content · stand

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pop — soda
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. kick — in football
  8. capital — money
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pop — music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stand — to bear
  16. capital — a city
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. content — the amount
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pop — to visit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — the animal

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