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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: capital · coach · ground · net · dip · bear · lean · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. lean — thin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. ground — the earth
  9. capital — a city
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. capital — money

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