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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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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: ball · bear · rush · ground · capital · face · sharp · suit

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ground — a position
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ball — a dance
  11. suit — clothes
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bear — the animal
  20. capital — money
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. capital — a city
  24. suit — in cards

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