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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · cap · fan · court · leaves · game

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. court — of a king
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fine — all right
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. court — of law
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. game — a match
  17. court — for sport
  18. fan — a supporter

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