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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. capital — a city
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — of ice
  9. capital — money
  10. cap — a hat
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stock — shares
  24. cap — a lid

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