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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. capital — a city
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. land — to come down
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. land — a country
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — money
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. press — to push
  21. land — ground
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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