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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.

Make a worksheet

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: capital · net · key · bowl · cold · court · cabinet · roll

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. roll — a list
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cold — not warm
  6. net — after costs
  7. court — of law
  8. capital — a city
  9. net — in sport
  10. capital — money
  11. court — of a king
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. roll — a cake
  24. key — in music

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