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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: pass · temple · fan · saw · game · craft · bowl · capital

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. craft — boats
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. capital — a city
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. game — a match
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. capital — money
  24. saw — the tool

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