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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. scale — in music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. capital — money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. march — the month
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. capital — a city
  14. bear — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lean — thin
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. can — a tin
  20. march — music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. march — the month
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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