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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.

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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: land · fine · capital · pass · ball · hide

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fine — all right
  3. capital — money
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fine — high quality
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pass — a permit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. capital — a city
  18. hide — animal skin

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