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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.

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: spell · ground · content · court · coach · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cap — a hat
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spell — letters
  7. court — of a king
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ground — the earth
  10. court — of law
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ground — a position
  13. content — the amount
  14. court — for sport
  15. spell — a short time
  16. content — happy
  17. ground — crushed
  18. spell — magic

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