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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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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: foot · content · fan · leaves · pit · capital · bowl · present

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. content — happy
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. foot — a measure
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. present — there
  10. pit — in a race
  11. present — the time now
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. present — a gift
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. capital — a city
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — a hole
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. content — the amount
  24. leaves — lets stay

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