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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · cap · root · club · content · can · fine · capital

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. capital — a city
  3. club — for dancing
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cap — a hat
  6. can — a tin
  7. capital — money
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. root — the cause
  11. cap — of ice
  12. root — of a plant
  13. club — for golf
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. content — the amount
  18. fine — high quality
  19. root — of a word
  20. content — happy
  21. fine — all right
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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