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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: bowl · capital · land · ball · bound · stock · fall · mug

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. land — to come down
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fall — the season
  8. mug — a face
  9. bound — certain
  10. ball — a great time
  11. land — ground
  12. stock — shares
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bound — tied together
  15. capital — a city
  16. land — a country
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  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