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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: pass · capital · mine · bowl · bear · suit · ball · season

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ball — a dance
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. capital — money
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. season — of the year
  20. capital — a city
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. season — in sport
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bowl — to roll

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