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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: bowl · fork · fall · bass · calf · board · pitcher · capital

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fork — in a road
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. capital — a city
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. capital — money
  20. fall — the season
  21. board — a committee
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — to get on

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