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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 116 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: capital · stick · pop · cabinet · hide · bat · court · march

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. court — of a king
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bat — the animal
  6. court — of law
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. capital — money
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. march — music
  12. court — for sport
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. march — the month
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. march — the month
  18. capital — a city
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pop — music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — to visit

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