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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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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: press · cabinet · can · cell · capital · bay

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. capital — a city
  3. can — a tin
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. capital — money
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. 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