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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: capital · rock · ground · file · stem · fine · dip · coach

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ground — the earth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. capital — money
  5. rock — a stone
  6. capital — a city
  7. file — a tool
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ground — a position
  17. file — a line of people
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — music
  20. file — a document
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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