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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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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 · board · bat · deal · cap · bank · bound · pass

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. board — a committee
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bank — for money
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bound — certain
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — to get on
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bound — tied together
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bat — for baseball

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