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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. capital — a city
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — finally
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lie — to recline
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. spell — magic
  22. court — for sport
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. capital — money

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