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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: capital · coach · staff · foot · race · lash · branch · racket

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. foot — a measure
  6. race — the arms race
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. capital — money
  12. race — a contest
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. race — humankind
  18. capital — a city
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. staff — a stick
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — of a bank

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