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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.

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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: bear · net · lie · capital · bowl · spring

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. spring — the season
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. spring — a coil
  13. capital — money
  14. net — in sport
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. spring — of water
  18. lie — an untruth

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