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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: craft · chip · capital · sharp · game · season · bowl · bear

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. game — wild animals
  6. season — of the year
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chip — to eat
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. season — in sport
  19. craft — boats
  20. capital — a city
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. capital — money

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