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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. capital — money
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — a committee
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. capital — a city
  15. board — to get on
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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