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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. cap — a hat
  4. capital — a city
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bound — certain
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bound — obliged
  9. present — the time now
  10. land — ground
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. present — a gift
  13. cap — a lid
  14. land — a country
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — to come down
  17. capital — money
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. present — there
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fine — all right

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