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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 116 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: capital · bass · cabinet · bowl · pit · staff · present · clip

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. staff — employees
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bass — low music
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. present — a gift
  10. clip — a video
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. staff — a stick
  14. capital — money
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. staff — employees
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. capital — a city
  21. pit — a hole
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. clip — to cut

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