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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · capital · present · fine · bowl · bass · mate · shower

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. shower — rain
  8. capital — a city
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bass — the fish
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. present — a gift
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fine — all right
  18. bass — low music
  19. mate — a friend
  20. present — the time now
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. capital — money
  24. bass — the instrument

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