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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: pass · shower · capital · bowl · jam · sharp · board · lean

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. capital — a city
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. shower — to wash
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. capital — money
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. board — a committee
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. board — to get on
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lean — thin
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bowl — a football final

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