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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.

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: cap · mug · sharp · fork · cabinet · squash · temple · capital

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cap — of ice
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. capital — money
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mug — a face
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mug — to rob
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cap — a hat

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