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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: cell · rule · pit · mate · capital · nail · march · cabinet

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. march — the month
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — a hole
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mate — a friend
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. capital — a city
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pit — in a race
  24. nail — for a hammer

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