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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: bowl · court · ground · pass · ball · toast · capital · suit

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. court — for sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. suit — clothes
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. toast — bread
  12. court — of a king
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ground — crushed
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. court — of law
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bowl — a dish

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