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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: mug · date · bowl · bank · kid · cabinet · scale · capital

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. capital — a city
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. capital — money
  14. date — the fruit
  15. kid — to tease
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mug — a cup
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. kid — child
  24. mug — to rob

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