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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
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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: fine · deal · capital · club · rash · mine · cabinet · hide

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mine — for digging
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rash — a series
  19. capital — a city
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. club — a group
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rash — on the skin

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