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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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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: cabinet · stick · staff · cell · capital · pass

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cell — in biology
  6. capital — money
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — a city
  12. staff — employees
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cell — a phone
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time

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