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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · ball · fork · rush · game · bowl · press · capital

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. game — a match
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fork — in a road
  8. capital — money
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ball — a great time
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. press — to push
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. press — newspapers
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ball — a dance

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