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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 120 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: hand · bowl · bore · pass · land · mug · bay · capital

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. 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. pass — a permit
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. land — to come down
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bore — to tire
  8. capital — a city
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. hand — help
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. land — a country
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. hand — in cards
  18. land — ground
  19. mug — a face
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. 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