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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 116 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: coach · squash · firm · mark · perch · cap · key · capital

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cap — a lid
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — to crush
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. squash — the sport
  13. capital — money
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mark — a trace
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. capital — a city
  19. cap — a hat
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. perch — the fish
  22. key — for a lock
  23. firm — decided
  24. mark — a grade

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