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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
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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: board · mate · branch · kick · coach · pass · court · capital

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mate — a friend
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pass — a permit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. capital — money
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. capital — a city
  11. court — of law
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. board — a committee
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. branch — a division
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. court — for sport
  20. board — to get on
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pass — to succeed

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