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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.

Words on the sheet
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: foot · bay · court · ball · bore · pass · pop · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pop — music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. capital — a city
  8. pop — to visit
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. court — of law
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. court — of a king
  17. pass — a permit
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. court — for sport
  21. bore — to drill
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pop — soda

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