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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: ball · bowl · pass · calf · capital · key · bear · board

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. key — the most important part
  7. capital — a city
  8. key — in music
  9. board — a committee
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. capital — money
  18. bear — the animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. key — for a lock
  23. board — to get on
  24. ball — a great time

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