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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: wake · perch · capital · firm · bore · cabinet · mine · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. capital — money
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cap — a hat
  6. firm — a company
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. firm — steady
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. capital — a city
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cap — a lid
  18. firm — decided
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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