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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. can — a tin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. club — for golf
  8. track — to keep track
  9. club — for dancing
  10. can — to be able to
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — a path
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. can — a tin
  16. track — a song
  17. club — a group
  18. hide — to keep secret

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