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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.

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: stand · bass · capital · rock · bulb · stick · coach · field

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — low music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. field — for sport
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stand — to bear
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. capital — a city
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. field — farmland
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. field — a subject
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. capital — money
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rock — music

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