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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: perch · mug · kick · rock · cabinet · capital · cap · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. capital — a city
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mug — to rob
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mug — a face
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rock — music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cap — a hat
  22. kick — in football
  23. rock — a stone
  24. capital — money

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