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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: coach · bass · capital · spell · stem · hand · current · leaves

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bass — low music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. current — of water
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. capital — a city
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bass — the fish
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. hand — help
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stem — to come from
  24. capital — a big letter

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