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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 120 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: stick · capital · cap · fine · bowl · rule

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cap — a hat
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. capital — a city
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rule — government
  13. fine — all right
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rule — a law

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