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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: cabinet · pitcher · cap · scale · deal · bore · bark · capital

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. capital — money
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bark — to shout
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cap — a hat
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. capital — a city
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. scale — in music

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