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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: cold · bank · degree · mug · cap · dip · capital · suit

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cap — a lid
  4. capital — money
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cold — not warm
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. cap — of ice
  13. suit — clothes
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. dip — to sink
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bank — of a river
  20. capital — a city
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. cap — a hat

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