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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 · tube · bowl · wave · racket · cabinet · mate · temple

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mate — to breed
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. mate — a partner

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