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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 116 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
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: ruler · ball · wake · spell · capital · coach · bowl · pass

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spell — letters
  3. capital — a city
  4. spell — magic
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. capital — money
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — a short time
  13. ball — a great time
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. wake — a trail

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