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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. kick — in football
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. capital — a city
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. deal — to handle
  18. perch — the fish
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cap — a lid
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. capital — a big letter

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