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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a great time
  14. capital — money
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. march — the month
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rush — hurry
  21. hand — help
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. degree — from a university
  24. ball — a dance

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