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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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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 · rest · temple · stick · snap · ball · key

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rest — a break
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. key — in music
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. key — the most important part
  17. snap — to click
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. capital — money

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