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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: pop · saw · foot · mug · spring · cabinet · fork · capital

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pop — to visit
  4. spring — of water
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mug — a cup
  10. spring — the season
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. saw — the tool
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. mug — a face

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