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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 120 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: capital · pitcher · safe · coach · stem · bark · pass · band

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. band — a music group
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. band — a ring
  15. capital — a city
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — money
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. safe — out of danger

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