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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: arm · can · present · mate · nail · cap · bark · capital

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. mate — to breed
  3. can — to be able to
  4. present — a gift
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cap — a lid
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bark — to shout
  12. capital — money
  13. present — the time now
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. can — a tin
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. capital — a city
  20. mate — a friend
  21. can — a tin
  22. present — there
  23. cap — a hat
  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