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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · mouse · bore · land · field · cabinet · kick · capital

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. squash — the sport
  7. land — a country
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. land — to come down
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. capital — money
  13. field — farmland
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. field — for sport
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. field — a subject
  19. land — ground
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. kick — in football
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. capital — a city

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