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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: band · snap · fine · capital · root · can · shower · deal

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. root — of a plant
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. band — a ring
  12. fine — high quality
  13. deal — to handle
  14. root — the cause
  15. capital — a city
  16. can — a tin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. can — to be able to
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. root — of a word
  24. band — a music group

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