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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.

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: bore · bowl · pit · calf · spell · stand · capital · tube

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. spell — magic
  3. pit — a hole
  4. capital — a city
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — letters
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spell — a short time
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bore — to drill
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. capital — money
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pit — in a race
  17. tube — a container
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bore — gave birth

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