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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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · capital · mate · cabinet · court · bass · bear · face

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bear — the animal
  5. capital — a city
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — low music
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mate — a friend
  11. object — a thing
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. object — an aim
  15. mate — to breed
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. court — of law
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. capital — money
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. object — to protest

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