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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 116 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: coach · fine · deal · capital · lash · squash · pitcher · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mug — a cup
  15. capital — a city
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mug — a face
  20. capital — money
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. squash — to crush

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