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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 120 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: capital · sharp · wound · cell · rock · plane · bowl · club

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cell — a phone
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rock — music
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. capital — money
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wound — an injury
  15. sharp — clever
  16. club — for golf
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cell — in biology
  23. plane — in geometry
  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