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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: hand · spell · board · coach · drill · stand · scale · capital

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. capital — money
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. spell — letters
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. capital — a city
  10. board — to get on
  11. drill — army training
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. drill — a practice
  15. board — a committee
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — in music
  18. spell — magic
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. drill — the tool
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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