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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: cabinet · capital · stand · straw · vault · mug · deal · racket

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mug — to rob
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mug — a cup
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. capital — a city
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. capital — money
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stand — to bear
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mug — a face
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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