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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: capital · bear · bound · bowl · craft · saw · bore · racket

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. capital — money
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — boats
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bound — certain
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — a city
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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