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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: content · bowl · chair · mug · capital · pass · roll · fall

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. content — the amount
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mug — a face
  11. capital — money
  12. fall — the season
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. capital — a city
  16. chair — a leader
  17. content — happy
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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