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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 116 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: capital · cap · bowl · cabinet · season · bay · rush · club

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. club — for golf
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. capital — a city
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. club — a group
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. season — in sport
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rush — hurry
  16. season — of the year
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cap — of ice
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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