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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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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 · foot · lie · firm · sharp · bore · capital · ground

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bore — to drill
  4. capital — a city
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. firm — a company
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. firm — decided
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. capital — money
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lie — to recline
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ground — a position
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. firm — steady
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. foot — a measure

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