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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: cabinet · nail · mate · degree · wake · cell · capital · bank

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. mate — a friend
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. degree — an amount
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bank — for money
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — a partner
  24. capital — a city

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