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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 · bowl · ball · chip · pitcher · leaves · swing · bear

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bear — the animal
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. capital — money
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. capital — a city
  19. swing — music
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ball — a great time
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ball — a round shape

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