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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
468
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: fork · capital · press · bowl · cap · sharp · wax · fan

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cap — a hat
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. press — to push
  10. capital — money
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. press — newspapers
  24. capital — a city

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