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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 116 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: bay · drill · stick · fan · spell · cap · can · pop

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. can — a tin
  3. pop — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — of ice
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spell — letters
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — a tin
  16. drill — a practice
  17. spell — magic
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pop — soda
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cap — a hat

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