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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 · capital · chest · bay · deal · chair

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — money
  11. chair — a leader
  12. capital — a city
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. chest — a box
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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