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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — to be able to
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cap — of ice
  5. capital — a city
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. capital — money
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. board — a committee
  14. stock — shares
  15. bulb — for light
  16. board — to get on
  17. land — a country
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — ground
  22. stock — goods
  23. land — to come down
  24. can — a tin

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