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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: season · fan · pass · mine · fork · cap · can · scale

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. can — a tin
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. can — a tin
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. season — in sport
  17. cap — of ice
  18. scale — in music
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. can — to be able to

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