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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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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: present · cold · cap · can · capital · cue · land · bay

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cold — not warm
  6. land — a country
  7. cue — a signal
  8. capital — money
  9. cue — a hint
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cold — an illness
  15. present — there
  16. cap — a hat
  17. land — to come down
  18. present — a gift
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. land — ground
  22. capital — a city
  23. cue — for pool
  24. present — the time now

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