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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.

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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: fan · lie · track · capital · chip · degree · rash · can

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. capital — a city
  6. rash — hasty
  7. track — a path
  8. can — a tin
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. track — a song
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. capital — money
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. track — to keep track
  17. chip — for betting
  18. degree — an amount
  19. chip — to eat
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — a series
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. can — a tin

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