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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
468
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 · snap · capital · season · craft · kick · pop · mark

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. kick — in football
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mark — a trace
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mark — a grade
  11. season — of the year
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. season — in sport
  19. craft — boats
  20. pop — soda
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pop — music

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