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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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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. capital — money
  8. tube — a container
  9. press — to push
  10. cap — of ice
  11. drill — army training
  12. press — newspapers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. drill — the tool
  17. scale — size or range
  18. capital — a city
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — in music
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. drill — a practice

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