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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: board · degree · bear · cabinet · trunk · ball · mug · capital

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. degree — from a university
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ball — a dance
  14. board — to get on
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. capital — a city
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. board — a committee
  19. mug — a face
  20. capital — money
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ball — a great time

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