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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 120 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: can · fork · pass · cell · capital · rash · cap · lean

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pass — a permit
  3. can — a tin
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lean — to bend
  10. can — to be able to
  11. capital — money
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. can — a tin
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rash — a series
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lean — thin
  23. capital — a city
  24. cell — in biology

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