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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
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: spell · hide · court · coach · key · bat · bank · stem

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. key — the most important part
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. court — of a king
  5. key — for a lock
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. spell — magic
  11. bat — the animal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bank — of a river
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. key — in music
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bank — for money
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. coach — a trainer

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