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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 120 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: bay · capital · craft · rock · ball · season · bowl · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rule — government
  4. rock — music
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. capital — money
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. craft — boats
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. capital — a city
  20. season — of the year
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rock — a stone
  24. craft — a skill

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