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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: last · fork · cap · foot · bear · fan · coach · degree

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. last — finally
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. degree — temperature
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. last — final
  13. bear — the animal
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. last — to go on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. degree — an amount
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fan — a supporter

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