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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: can · coach · bass · cap · toast · board · capital · ground

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cap — a hat
  4. board — a committee
  5. bass — low music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. ground — a position
  9. toast — bread
  10. cap — of ice
  11. capital — money
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. capital — a city
  17. ground — the earth
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cap — a lid

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