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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
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: mark · rest · plane · ball · season · board · bear · capital

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ball — a dance
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ball — a great time
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. season — of the year
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. capital — money
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. board — to get on
  24. season — in sport

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