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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
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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: game · coach · rush · capital · court · season · stem · key

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. season — of the year
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — in sport
  7. court — for sport
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. court — of a king
  13. key — the most important part
  14. game — wild animals
  15. key — in music
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. court — of law
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rush — hurry
  22. capital — a city
  23. stem — to come from
  24. capital — money

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