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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.

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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: chest · capital · bowl · pass · deal · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. 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. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. deal — to handle
  7. perch — the fish
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. capital — a city
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. 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