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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: pit · coach · rock · cap · branch · roll · fall · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fall — to drop
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rock — music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. capital — money
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pit — in a race
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cap — a hat
  15. branch — a division
  16. fall — to drop
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fall — the season
  19. cap — of ice
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. roll — a list
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. roll — a cake
  24. coach — a trainer

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