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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: mug · coach · jam · chair · capital · cap · track · rock

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. cap — a lid
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rock — a stone
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. capital — money
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mug — to rob
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. track — a song
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. chair — a leader
  13. capital — a city
  14. rock — music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cap — a hat
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mug — a face
  22. track — a path
  23. coach — a trainer
  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