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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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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: sharp · season · bowl · pass · capital · craft · net · pop

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. season — of the year
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pop — soda
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. capital — a city
  7. net — in sport
  8. craft — a skill
  9. capital — money
  10. craft — boats
  11. pop — to visit
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pop — music
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. net — for catching
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. sharp — clever
  21. season — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pass — to spend time

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