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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: cabinet · can · shower · deal · object · track · fork · capital

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. can — a tin
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fork — in a road
  6. object — to protest
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. capital — money
  9. can — to be able to
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. track — to keep track
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. can — a tin
  19. shower — to wash
  20. track — a path
  21. shower — rain
  22. object — an aim
  23. track — a song
  24. object — a thing

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