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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: coach · cabinet · bank · bore · pitch · lean · cap · row

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bank — for money
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lean — thin
  15. row — a line
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bore — to tire

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