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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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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: capital · rest · bowl · wave · key · can · stand · spring

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. can — a tin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rest — what's left
  6. can — a tin
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. capital — a city
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rest — a break
  12. can — to be able to
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. spring — of water
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stand — to bear
  22. spring — the season
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rest — what's left

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