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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: chip · spring · racket · cabinet · scale · capital · pass · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. capital — money
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spring — the season
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. capital — a city
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. spring — of water
  16. chip — to eat
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chip — for betting
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spring — a coil

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