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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: cap · cabinet · staff · deal · tube · squash · spell · mark

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cap — of ice
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cap — a lid
  11. staff — employees
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cap — a hat
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — letters
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. spell — a short time
  23. deal — to handle
  24. spell — magic

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