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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 · deal · can · capital · court · stick · cap · board

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. court — of a king
  6. board — to get on
  7. can — a tin
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. court — for sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. capital — a city
  13. can — a tin
  14. court — of law
  15. deal — to handle
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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