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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: fall · bowl · capital · bulb · squash · row · march · board

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. row — a line
  3. board — to get on
  4. fall — to drop
  5. capital — money
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. march — the month
  16. capital — a city
  17. fall — the season
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fall — to drop
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. row — to paddle
  24. board — a committee

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