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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 116 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: saw · key · bass · racket · land · cap · capital · cabinet

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — in music
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bass — low music
  11. capital — money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. key — the most important part
  14. land — to come down
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — ground
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. land — a country
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bass — the fish
  24. saw — the tool

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