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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ground · roll · mug · key · capital · perch · bowl · club

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. key — in music
  7. club — for golf
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. club — a group
  10. perch — the fish
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. ground — a position
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. club — for dancing
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ground — the earth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. capital — money
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. perch — for a bird

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