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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 120 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: squash · fan · craft · can · tube · capital · row · dip

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. capital — money
  5. row — a line
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. tube — the underground
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — a container
  13. capital — a city
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — to be able to
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. row — to paddle

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