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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · fine · cabinet · plane · capital · degree · kid · mug

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mug — a face
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. capital — money
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. degree — from a university
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. degree — an amount
  18. capital — a city
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. degree — temperature
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. kid — to tease
  23. fine — all right
  24. kid — child

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