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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.

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: spell · degree · hide · toast · bowl · capital

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. degree — an amount
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. spell — letters
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. capital — a city
  10. degree — temperature
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. spell — magic
  13. capital — money
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. degree — from a university
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. toast — bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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