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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: stock · clip · coach · key · ball · pitch · capital · stick

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. capital — a city
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. capital — money
  8. clip — a video
  9. key — in music
  10. stock — shares
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. clip — for paper
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stock — goods
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitch — completely
  23. key — the most important part
  24. capital — a big letter

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