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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: track · stick · capital · mine · coach · nail · rule · bowl

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. track — a path
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mine — for digging
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. track — a song
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. capital — money
  16. rule — government
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rule — a law
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. capital — a city

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