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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.

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: roll · hand · bay · coach · date · rule · capital · bear

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. bear — the animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. capital — a city
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. capital — money
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. date — the fruit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. roll — a list
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. date — on the calendar

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