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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 124 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
468
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: plane · key · rule · swing · spell · coach · bat · capital

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — for a lock
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. capital — money
  10. spell — letters
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. capital — a city
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rule — a law
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rule — government
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spell — magic
  20. swing — music
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bat — the animal

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