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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
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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: object · cabinet · content · spell · capital · racket · press · last

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. last — to go on
  3. object — an aim
  4. capital — money
  5. object — a thing
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. object — to protest
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. last — final
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spell — magic
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. last — finally
  23. press — a publisher
  24. content — happy

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