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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.

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: coach · track · drill · game · press · arm · bay · capital

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. game — a match
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. drill — army training
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. capital — money
  13. drill — the tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. capital — a city
  17. press — a publisher
  18. drill — a practice
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. track — a path
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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