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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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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 · pound · capital · rest · foot · ruler · arm · court

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rest — a break
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. capital — money
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. court — of law
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — for sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. court — of a king
  18. rest — what's left
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. pound — a weight

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