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

Word bank: cap · cabinet · deal · saw · race · capital

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. race — a contest
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. race — humankind
  6. cap — of ice
  7. deal — to handle
  8. race — the arms race
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cap — a lid
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — an agreement

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