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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 120 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: spell · mark · press · suit · capital · degree · cabinet · fall

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mark — a grade
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fall — to drop
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mark — a trace
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. press — newspapers
  11. capital — money
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. press — to push
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spell — magic
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spell — a short time
  20. capital — a city
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fall — the season
  24. spell — letters

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