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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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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: court · bore · lean · cap · capital · firm · mug · cabinet

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bore — to tire
  3. capital — a city
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. firm — steady
  7. mug — to rob
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. firm — a company
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. bore — to drill
  17. court — of a king
  18. lean — thin
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lean — to bend
  21. firm — decided
  22. cap — a hat
  23. capital — money
  24. mug — a face

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