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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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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: toast · board · bank · capital · pit · cabinet · snap · net

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. toast — bread
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — for catching
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — to get on
  12. net — in sport
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. net — after costs
  15. bank — for money
  16. capital — money
  17. board — a committee
  18. pit — a hole
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. capital — a city
  23. bank — of a river
  24. snap — to click

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