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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
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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 · cap · drill · fine · spring · deal · ball · sharp

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cap — a hat
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fine — high quality
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spring — the season
  12. drill — a practice
  13. ball — a dance
  14. drill — army training
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cap — of ice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fine — all right
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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