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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: trunk · pound · dip · season · capital · pass · cap · mug

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. season — of the year
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pound — a weight
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. season — in sport
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mug — a face
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cap — of ice
  24. dip — to sink

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