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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. capital — a city
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. land — ground
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — in control
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. land — to come down
  18. cap — a lid
  19. land — a country
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. capital — money
  24. mouse — for a computer

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