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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
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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: capital · cabinet · squash · club · cell · land · pop · ruler

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pop — music
  7. land — a country
  8. capital — money
  9. land — to come down
  10. cell — in biology
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — the sport
  14. land — ground
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. club — for golf
  18. capital — a city
  19. pop — to visit
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pop — soda
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. capital — a big letter

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