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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.

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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: rest · ball · pass · bark · tube · bowl · lean · capital

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rest — a break
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. capital — a city
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lean — thin
  20. capital — money
  21. tube — a container
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. ball — a round shape

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