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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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Word bank
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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: straw · deal · ball · fine · cabinet · capital

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. capital — money
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fine — all right
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fine — high quality
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. capital — a city
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. deal — to handle
  18. capital — a big letter

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