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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: dip · season · cap · cabinet · capital · prune · mark · chip

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chip — for betting
  8. season — in sport
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. capital — a city
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mark — a trace
  24. season — of the year

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