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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.

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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. capital — a city
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mug — a face
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pitch — completely
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — money
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mug — a cup
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. face — to confront
  19. cold — an illness
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mug — to rob
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cold — not warm

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