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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: cue · capital · pit · cabinet · season · cap · fan · sharp

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. pit — a hole
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pit — in a race
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. season — in sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. season — of the year
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. season — to add flavour

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