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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: bear · capital · cabinet · file · suit · chair · fork · staff

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. chair — a leader
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bear — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. file — a tool
  16. suit — to fit
  17. staff — employees
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. suit — clothes
  24. capital — money

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