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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cap — a hat
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. capital — a city
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bear — the animal
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — a tin
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. can — a tin
  20. board — to get on
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — a committee
  24. cap — of ice

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