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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: capital · cap · bowl · cabinet · season · bay

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. season — of the year
  8. capital — money
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cap — of ice
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bowl — a football final

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