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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
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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: leaves · pass · squash · mouse · band · fan · capital · coach

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. band — a ring
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. band — a music group
  23. capital — a city
  24. band — a rubber band

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