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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: date · capital · cabinet · bulb · mark · chip · can · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. capital — money
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. capital — a city
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. can — a tin
  24. mark — a grade

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