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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: pitcher · can · capital · bound · suit · fan · hide · bear

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bound — certain
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. capital — money
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — a tin
  20. capital — a city
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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