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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 · key · rash · bore · bowl · can · roll · wound

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. capital — money
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. can — a tin
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rash — a series
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. roll — a cake
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wound — an injury
  22. roll — a list
  23. key — in music
  24. capital — a city

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