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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: wave · roll · pop · capital · object · fall · ground · bore

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. ground — a position
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pop — soda
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pop — music
  12. object — to protest
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fall — the season
  15. capital — money
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pop — to visit
  18. roll — a cake
  19. object — a thing
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. capital — a city
  24. object — an aim

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