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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — a tin
  3. capital — a city
  4. pop — soda
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a music group
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. capital — money
  14. dip — to sink
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. band — a ring
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. can — to be able to
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. can — a tin

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