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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 116 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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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 · capital · tube · sharp · mate · kick · pass · net

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mate — to breed
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. net — after costs
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. capital — money
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. mate — a partner
  16. tube — a container
  17. kick — in football
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. sharp — clever
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pass — a permit
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. tube — the underground
  24. capital — a city

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