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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. capital — a city
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. capital — money
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cap — a lid
  8. season — of the year
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cap — a hat
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. suit — to fit
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. suit — clothes
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. season — in sport

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