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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
468
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: cap · capital · track · cell · can · lash · bowl · ball

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. capital — a city
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cap — a lid
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. track — a song
  10. ball — a great time
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a path
  20. capital — money
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — in a prison

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