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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: game · mate · suit · trunk · bound · capital · cabinet · scale

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. game — a match
  10. capital — money
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. capital — a city
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bound — certain
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — tied together
  19. suit — to fit
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mate — to breed

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