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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: lie · foot · court · kid · press · capital · suit · cabinet

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. court — of law
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. suit — to fit
  9. press — to push
  10. court — of a king
  11. kid — to tease
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. capital — a city
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. court — for sport
  22. press — a publisher
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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