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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.

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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: cell · wake · spell · deal · bat · capital · arm · coach

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. capital — money
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bat — the animal
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. spell — a short time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cell — a phone
  18. spell — magic
  19. wake — a trail
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. capital — a city
  24. spell — letters

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