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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: capital · season · bear · sharp · cap · bass · cabinet · craft

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — a city
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. sharp — clever
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bass — low music
  20. capital — money
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cap — a hat
  23. season — of the year
  24. craft — boats

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