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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.

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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: staff · spell · cap · hide · pop · bat · court · deal

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. spell — magic
  4. court — of a king
  5. pop — soda
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bat — the animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — to handle
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. court — of law
  14. staff — employees
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pop — music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. staff — employees
  23. court — for sport
  24. deal — a big deal

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