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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.

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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
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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: staff · cap · can · court · pound · pit · lie · coach

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. court — of law
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cap — of ice
  18. staff — employees
  19. pit — in a race
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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