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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: capital · court · spell · ball · pass · coach

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. capital — money
  3. court — of a king
  4. capital — a city
  5. spell — magic
  6. court — for sport
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. spell — a short time
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. court — of law
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spell — letters
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. ball — a dance
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. ball — a great time
  18. coach — a trainer

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