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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: jam · row · hide · fan · bowl · toast · bear · capital

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. capital — money
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. capital — a city
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. toast — bread
  22. bear — the animal
  23. row — a line
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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