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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: plane · saw · ball · bear · capital · cabinet · stock · mine

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ball — a great time
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stock — shares
  16. capital — money
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stock — goods
  20. ball — a dance
  21. capital — a city
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. capital — a big letter

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