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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: rest · pass · rush · capital · craft · band · coach · deal

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rest — what's left
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. capital — a city
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rest — a break
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rush — hurry
  20. deal — to handle
  21. craft — boats
  22. band — a ring
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — a thrill

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