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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: capital · kick · bowl · fall · bore · sharp · fine · pass

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. kick — in football
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. capital — a city
  5. pass — a permit
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. capital — money
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bore — to tire
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fine — all right
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fall — the season

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