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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: prune · capital · ruler · field · dip · pitcher · coach · cabinet

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. dip — to sink
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. capital — money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. field — a subject
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. dip — a sauce

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