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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: calf · mate · bowl · row · season · spring · board · capital

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. capital — money
  3. board — to get on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. season — in sport
  8. board — a committee
  9. row — to paddle
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mate — to breed
  13. capital — a city
  14. mate — a friend
  15. spring — a coil
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. spring — of water
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mate — a partner
  22. row — a line
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bowl — a dish

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