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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: leaves · spell · rock · capital · bass · court · staff · rule

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spell — a short time
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. spell — letters
  6. bass — the fish
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. staff — a stick
  10. capital — money
  11. court — for sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rock — a stone
  14. staff — employees
  15. rule — government
  16. capital — a city
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. spell — magic
  20. rule — a law
  21. bass — low music
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. staff — employees

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