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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. capital — money
  3. ball — a great time
  4. can — a tin
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. capital — a city
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ball — a dance
  11. branch — a division
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. content — happy
  14. saw — the tool
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. content — the amount
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. saw — the tool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  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