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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: bowl · dip · ball · ground · sharp · face · craft · capital

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. capital — money
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. face — to confront
  7. dip — to sink
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ball — a dance
  12. craft — boats
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ground — the earth
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ball — a great time
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. capital — a city

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