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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: pitch · capital · band · cabinet · coach · spell · present · straw

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. present — the time now
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pitch — completely
  4. capital — money
  5. band — a music group
  6. capital — a city
  7. spell — letters
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. band — a ring
  14. present — there
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. spell — magic
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — a gift
  23. band — a rubber band
  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